This Exists: Floating Hostel in a National Park

Posted By Matt on Apr 8, 2015 | 0 comments

♫ never thought I’d sleep on a boat ♫

Abel Tasman National Park holds many wonders, and I think one of them is Aquapackers. It’s not the budget backpackers that we normally look for, but it is a pretty fair deal nonetheless. Dinner, overnight, and breakfast costs $199. They can accommodate ~35 people, but the night we were there, only 13 were aboard. We made new friends (Hi Tom and Hannah!) and had a blast.

You have to walk about 12km to get to the shore where their dinghy will pick you up. It is nice and flat and compact ground to the point where you could almost take a skateboard in. Birds accompany you all along the trail – especially the sounds of the Korimako (or New Zealand Bellbird). If you don’t want to do the 3-4 hour walk, you can always pay the local water taxi to ferry you over for about $35 NZD each way.

Here are some photos.

I’ve been reading about Captain Cook lately, and I assume that when he was feeling intrepid, he would pose this way.

I convinced myself that I’d go swimming… I didn’t until we got to the boat.

This Place is Beautiful

Multitudes will kayak out, or get dropped off 10km away, and kayak back.

That’s the bay where Aquapackers floats.

Intrepid wife.

I love selfie stick shots.

The double room costs $199 NZD and is comfortable, though small.

Awwwwww