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ABOUT US
We're just the right size!
Big enough to give you the best choices, small enough to show you real New Zealand hospitality.
Our Vision: to promote an appreciation of the National Park and its unique features by providing for visitors a responsible, informative and caring service.
We look forward to an enjoyable and safe future with you - our guests!
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Go to Guests' Comments
Go to recent Blogs.
Go to recently published news and magazine articles.
The Nelson region has been our home for 8 generations. Wilsons Abel Tasman involves three generations of our family, assisted by a team of dedicated professionals who love this region as much as we do. Meet the Team
Descended from farmers, sailors, and builders, John and Lynette Wilson ventured into tourism in 1977 with a single launch service into Abel Tasman National Park. Today, they are assisted by their children and grandchildren, operating our award-winning business that offers the widest range of services for visitors to our favourite part of the world.
Lynette Wilson's great-great grandparents, the Newths and the Snows, sailed from England in 1841 with the first official British settlement fleet to Nelson. From the time one of their children, Amelia Newth, waded ashore ahead of the official landing party, our family's stories document determined women, dedicated men and inspired children through the tragedies and triumphs of the emerging nation of New Zealand. For the full story, read Awaroa Legacy co-authored by Lynette Wilson.
Our family history is the family business:
- 1841 - The Newth and Snow families arrive with the first fleet of European settlers to Nelson.
- 1858 - George Snow marries Martha Newth. Adele is their eldest (surviving) child.
- 1844 - Lynette Wilson's great-grandparents William and Adele (nee Snow) Hadfield build a grand home on the "finest site in the bay" on their farm, Meadowbank, at Awaroa, now within the boundaries of Abel Tasman National Park.
- Early 1900's - William and Adele Hadfield's eldest son Fred lives with his wife Jessie (nee Winter) on their farm on the Awaroa River. (This land is in the process of being returned to the National Park.)
- 1931 - Awaroa school closes. Lynette's mother, Mavis Hadfield, is the last school teacher in Awaroa.
- 1940/50s - Visiting her grandparents, Fred and Jessie at Awaroa, Lynette witnesses the old house at Meadowbank fall into ruins.
- 1942 - The coastal region between Marahau and Wainui is gazetted as a National Park to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman's visit to the coast.
- 1968 - Lynette purchases a family holiday cottage in the Park at Torrent Bay.
- 1977 - John Wilson (Lynette's husband) starts a commercial boat service along the Abel Tasman coast.
- 1978-82 - Lynette serves refreshments and art work from a tent pitched in the garden of the Torrent Bay Cottage. As her four children grow up, they start to show visitors around the area.
- 1982 - The Wilson family are granted a concession to conduct Guided Walks in the National Park. The family holiday cottage is rebuilt to enable guided walkers to stay overnight in the Park.
- 1994 - After Lynette inherits land from her great-grandparents, her family rebuilds their ancestral home as Meadowbank Homestead - Awaroa, to be included in the Wilson's guided trips.
- 1995 - Sea Kayaking with professional Guides is introduced to the Wilson's holidays.
- 1999 - The family's history published by Lynette in a hard cover book, Awaroa Legacy.
- 2000 - As Abel Tasman National Park Experiences, we win NZ Tourism Award for Best Outdoor Activity.
- 2001 - Torrent Bay Lodge undergoes its third rebuild and refurbishment to include 13 double rooms with ensuite bathrooms.
- 2003 - Winners of Tasman District Council Heritage Award.
- 2004 - Our Sea Fern brand is exclusively designed for us to represent the family's connection to the land and the sea, in the eye-catching colours of black and white; New Zealand's unofficial national colours.
- 2005-7 - Changing our name to Wilson's Abel Tasman Experiences Ltd, we form a business alliance with sea kayak companies owned by local Maori Iwi of Wakatu Incorporation to assist them with their entry into the tourism industry. We set up a cadet training scheme to help members of local Iwi present their stories.
- 2006 - A large part of the Hadfield estate (the largest single piece of privately owned land within the boundaries of Abel Tasman National Park) is bought by the Heritage Fund to be returned to the National Park.
- 2006 Winners:
- Qualmark Mark of Quality at NZ Tourism Awards
- Business of the Year and Tourism Excellence at the Nelson Business Awards.
- 2007 - Trading name changed to Wilsons Abel Tasman National Park Ltd to make our family name dominant in the branding and help distinguish our company from other operators in the region.
- 2008
- John Wilson awarded the Queen's Service Medal for his role in developing Abel Tasman National Park as a quality international destination.
- Guest accommodation upgraded and two holiday cottages built at Meadowbank Homestead - Awaroa.
- State-of-the-art solar power installed at both Lodges.
- Finalists Inbound Tourism Operators Council Operator of the Year Award.
- 2009 - State-of-the-art catamaran, Abel Tasman Voyager, designed and built in New Zealand, introduced to operate our Vista Cruise services in the National Park
Articles published about us
"Like in a dream of flying, where you are never quite sure what keeps you from falling, our yellow kayaks seem suspended by an unseen hand, floating between earth and sky. Time and place have crystallised into one of those perfect moments as we glide over a sea so translucent it seems there is no water there at all." Written by Susan Gough Henly, Brisbane Times, March 14, 2010.
Read more...
Read about Jim Eagles' travels in Abel Tasman National Park, published in NZ Herald.com, January 2010, "Close Encounter of Furred Kind"
Destination: New Zealand, November 2009 by Belinda Weber on www.ivillage.co.uk
Dominion Post, Wellington, 14 April 2009 Abel Tasman Amble
Herald Sun, Melbourne 20 March 2009 An Excercise in Beauty
Alive magazine Spring 2008 edition
Hospitality Magazine Sept 2008
The world's most luxurious kayaking adventure? Read about it...
Recent Blogs
The bold and the beautiful
Read about Sophie's trip to Nelson:
...I went to Abel Tasman National Park and found the place where New Zealand gives full vent to all its natural, dramatic beauty, where it rewards those most committed to seeking it out by unleashing its artistry with a raw and mighty force. I was blessed with a perfect winter day - the kind where you need both woolly gloves and sunglasses - and I walked about 7km along the coast track through dense, dark forests, along pristine, bright beaches and to snug little coves kissed by a jade-green sea. It was, as you can tell, quite startlingly beautiful and the light was absolutely perfect - making the earth and sands glow amber, the sky a brilliant blue and the forest and ferns a heady mix of mossy, sagey, limey greens. I felt like I was seeing everything for the first time, it was so wild, naked, raw and magnificent. I drove back feeling deliciously tired and very, very peaceful having had the last few hours with just me, my thoughts and the wild and savage landscape.
Follow Me!
Pictures and stories of a 2-Day Kayak and Walk with us.
i'd definitely recommend this as a place to visit in new zealand, especially with the wilson group that organized our two-day trip - the logistics were all handled so perfectly :-)
Read more...
Story and Pictures
It is so hard to sum up this trip, it has been fantastic! All that we had hoped for and more. We were so lucky to have fantastic fine weather for the whole time, with the cloudy conditions on Day 1 rapidly clearing to fine days with light winds. The accommodation we had was beautiful and the food and wine lovely, even down to our brown bag lunches and snacks provided for the days outings. And to top it all off, we made some great friends and the whole group doing the same trip were lots of fun! This area of New Zealand is definitely worth exploring.
See the pictures...
Jewel compares the Abel Tasman coast with Marlborough Sounds:
It's hard to say which track I liked more, this or the Queen Charlotte Track. I thought the QCT views of the sounds were amazing, but I think I preferred the golden sand beaches and clear blue water here...or maybe it was just because the weather was now sunny here! I do believe these are the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen! Every time I stopped at a lookout (of which there were many) I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I would swear I was looking at a painting! Also noticeable (and enjoyable) was the lack of noise from the outside world - no cars, boats, or even air planes! The only noises were the sound of the lapping waves, the birds chirping, and bees humming...so peaceful. Read more...
Elizabeth's 2010 Sabbatical:
On the South Island in the northernmost part (referred to as the "Top of the South" by Kiwis), there is a huge bay called the Tasman Bay, on its western side is a national park called Abel Tasman National Park (named after the first European to lay eyes on the south island; Tasman did not actually make landfall, because he got scared off by some Maori warriors, but no matter). We had arranged in advance for a 3-day "tramp" (New Zealand-speak for "hike") in the park. The company we went with provided guides, nightly lodging, all meals, and ferried all of our belongings except our daypacks on ahead to the lodge where we would spend the night. We decided to do this rather than try to camp on our own (which is allowed, and the NZ Department of Conservation provides "huts" for hikers to cook and sleep in). We went with a company called Wilson's Abel Tasman Experience (I think that's right), and were extremely pleased with them. Read more...
Some of My Favorite Places:
Max Hartshorne describes Nelson as "A Crafty, Artsy Coastal Community", an arts town with nice layout, right next to Abel Tasman wilderness some of the nicest hiking and beautiful scenery anywhere. Read his informative blog.
Claire and James's Round the World Travels
...drove back to Kaiteriteri for our planned boat and tramping trip. The trip was a fantastic day out and I would recommend doing this to anyone. The tramping was stunning and by the end of it, we were both pretty exhausted. Five hours of walking...Felt amazing afterwards though. Photos...
You can view Abel Tasman National Park through the eyes of visitors to this fascinating coast. Youtube links
Flickr images
Read about personal experiences with us:
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