Apple Tree Bay sits close enough to Marahau that the car park still feels recent, yet far enough that the forest has reclaimed your attention. The cove opens to the northeast, a classic Abel Tasman crescent with golden sand, low headlands, and water that shifts from aquamarine near shore to deeper blue at the channel. Native bush grows thick behind the beach—kanuka, pittosporum, and the occasional nikau palm—providing patchy shade by mid-afternoon.
“This bay offers immediate reward for minimal effort, making the Coast Track feel instantly worthwhile.”
Credit: UnsplashForested coastline and island with a sailboat on calm ocean.
The bay's accessibility makes it popular as a first stop for day-trippers and trekkers alike. Water taxis drop swimmers here for a few hours of beach time before retrieving them. Kayakers paddle in from Kaiteriteri to snorkel the rocks at the southern headland. Families with young children claim spots near the tree line, where the sand stays soft and the water entry is gradual. Despite the traffic, the beach absorbs it well—the sand stretches wide enough that crowding rarely becomes an issue, even on peak summer days.
The swimming here is forgiving. The seabed is visible at every depth, the slope is gentle, and the bay's shape protects against strong currents. You'll see stingrays in the shallows, schools of kahawai working the deeper water, and the occasional seal hauled out on the rocks. By late afternoon, when the water taxis have completed their runs and the day-hikers have returned to Marahau, the bay settles into a quieter rhythm. The tide comes in slowly, erasing footprints and resetting the sand for the next morning's arrivals.
