Located in the Abel Tasman National Park Is Split Apple Rock
Copyright: petervick167 / 123RF Stock Photo
The Abel Tasman National Park is a spectacular region covering much of the top end of the South Island of New Zealand and is often overlooked as a travel destination. Amongst other spectacles, it is home to Tonga Island and Split Apple Rock, so named as it looks just like an apple that has been split in two.
Just one hours drive from the main city of the area, Nelson, and you can explore the park in many ways. By boat, water taxi, kayaking or hiking. Near by Kaiteriteri acts as a base to start exploring the wonders of this region, the Abel Tasman National Park and Split Apple Rock.
How was Split Apple Rock New Zealand formed?
The geologist say that this rock would have been split in one of the ‘Ice Ages’ that engulfed much of New Zealand The rock would have had a slight fracture or crack in it allowing water would to have seeped into the crack in the rock. As the Ice advanced and temperatures dropped the water froze and in doing so expanded, causing the rock to split open like an apple.
The Legends of how the rock split
Legend has it that the rock was split, like an apple, by the sword of Zeus while battling with Neptune over the hand of Dione. Zeus actually won that battle and the hand of Dione. How the rock found its way to NZ remains a mystery”
However I prefer the second myth which is a Maori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) legend :-
“Two gods were scrapping/fighting over the rock and decided to halve it to end the wrangle”.
Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park also offers visitors a variety of other options from kayaking, tramping, nature watching to sight seeing cruises aboard a wide variety of vessels.
I have taken a couple of trips up the coast of the park, one in a Water Taxi which was nice and personal with an awesome guide who was obviously interested in what he did. The other was a cruise, with a group of my passengers on a holiday in New Zealand, aboard one of the larger boats. Leaving from Kaiteriteri we headed north-west towards Farewell Spit. Although the trip doesn’t go that far, it still takes in a number of the beaches and bays in the area and visits a number of places such as the jewel, Split Apple Rock, a shag colony and Tonga Island where there is a New Zealand Fur Seal colony.
Naming of the Park
The Abel Tasman National Park is named after Abel Janszoon Tasman the first accredited European (
The department of conservation (DOC) provide quite an extensive array of tramps/walks, huts and information on the Abel Tasman National Park and it is worth checking out their
How to get there:-
If flying into Nelson Airport, Take State Highway 6 To Richmond, turn right and follow State Highway 60 through Motueka. Follow the signs to Kaiteriteri and at a major Tee intersection turn right to leave SHW 80 and into Riwaka Kaiteriteri Rd and follow the sign posts to Kaiteriteri.
If arriving into Picton off the Inter-Islander ferry, head south to Spring Creek, turn right
GPS Co-Ordinates:- -41.037186,173.017284
Whats There:-
A number of kayaking, tramping and water adventure companies.
A Hotel, an excellent camping ground, cafe and local stores
Click here for Typical weather for the area
NOW IT'S YOUR TIME TO COMMENT
Have you been here and how was your experience?
What other information can I provide for you?
Please leave a comment below I would love to hear from you.
I just had some kind of moment when my mind went back to the time I spent there.
Thank you for the memories.
Hi,
My husband and I have toured NZ a couple of time in a motorhome – both North and South Islands. We loved the northern area of the South Island and spent time at Wharariki Beach. The Golden Bay area is beautiful.
Somehow we haven’t managed to visit Split Apple Rock but it is now definitely on our list of places to visit next time we visit NZ.
Cheers
Ingrid
Golden Bay and Takaka, beautiful place. Tasman named it Murders Bay, long story lol
You will enjoy Split apple rock and Tonga Island with the NZ Fur seals.
Mark
Certainly, couldnt agree more! Many thanks for sharing this.
Your welcome
No, I have not had the pleasure of visiting. I would absolutely love to see New Zealand! It is gorgeous! I love your site, the pictures, guides, and the mythological story! Keep writing, hopefully I can visit one day and I’ll need to use your site for reference.
Thank you for your words of encouragement.
When you came be sure to look me up.
Never been to Australia but it is on my bucket list!!! It seems like I hear more about your land all the time. My nephew is even going there for a church thing for a year or two from what he said. that would be awesome.
You do a great job of laying out what you can do in Australia and look forward to more!!
Great info! I’m looking at visiting NZ in the near future so I’ll be checking back here for more ideas. Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome.
Be sure to let me know when you come
What a fascinating article. I am planning a trip to New Zealand this year, unsure how I will be getting around yet but your site offers some great tips. I am definitely planning on visiting Abel Tasman and the details you included here were so useful and interesting. How long would you recommend spending in the area to really experience it?
Fran
Fran, love to see you here in New Zealand.
Split apple rock and the Abel Tasman National Park are great places.
As to how long to stay depends on how active you want to be Both can be done in a day trip. However if you would like to explore the walks and nearby Nelson and Motueka I would recommend a min of three days.
Hope that helps.
Mark
It will likely be a while before I visit NZ, but that split apple rock intrigues me so much, it’d be awesome to see it. It looks like there are definitely plenty of options to choose from! Nice read.
Enrique,
Thank you for your comments, yes Split Apple Rock is an interesting place to visit. Especially with the New Zealand Fur Seal colony nearby.
Mark
This looks like a really interesting place and one which I will definitely look up when I do get to NZ. I like how it’s not too far from Nelson, approx .1 hour is good. It’s nice to hear how the rock actually may have split but I’m not sure I believe the Maori legend 🙂
Craig,
Thank you for your comment, yes the Maori legends are a little out there. Glad you liked the post.
Mark
Great info and fantastic photos. Makes me want to travel to those places.
Pablo, thank you for your comments. Yes it is a great place to visit.
Mark
I’ve never been to NZ much less Split Rock, but New Zealand is on my list of photo excursions. So when that day comes I will definitely make sure I visit this treasure.
Michelle,
If you are a keen photographer you will love Split Apple Rock, let alone the rest of New Zealand.
Photography is one of my passions and I try to use my images as much as possible on my posts.
Thank you for your comments.
Mark
Wow what a great articele and insight. I love the way you have set up your website. Its very clean and professional. I have always wanted to go to New Zealand. This would be a great way to see the sights and have a little bit of history behind it. Thank you so much!
Brandyn, thank you for your comments and compliments.
We would love to see you here some day. If you like Split Apple Rock you mat also like Matauri Bay.
Mark
Hi,
No problem to share links.
Mark