Gibbs Hill, Separation Point, and Coast Track Loop

The Gibbs Hill, Separation Point, and Coast Track Loop is a full-day difficult hike. The loop itself is 19.56 km with 801 m of climbing, and official timings for the key sections are about 3 hours from Tōtaranui to Whariwharangi via Gibbs Hill, plus about 1 hour return for the Separation Point side trip, before continuing back along the coast.

This loop starts and finishes at Tōtaranui in Abel Tasman National Park. It climbs inland on the Gibbs Hill Track toward Whariwharangi, includes the Separation Point side track near the northern end of the coast, then returns south on the Abel Tasman Coast Track past Whariwharangi Bay and Waiharakeke Bay to Tōtaranui.

Yes. The route is commonly described as the Gibbs Hill to Whariwharangi Loop Track, starting and finishing at Tōtaranui. The longer name reflects the same core circuit, with the addition of the Separation Point detour and the return leg on the Coast Track.

The usual trailhead for the Gibbs Hill, Separation Point, and Coast Track Loop is Tōtaranui, and the route returns there at the end of the circuit. Tōtaranui is reached by road from the Tākaka side via Pohara and Tata Beach, and it is also a known access point on the northern end of the Abel Tasman Coast Track.

The loop passes Waiharakeke Bay on the coastal return to Tōtaranui. That bay sits on the Abel Tasman Coast Track between Whariwharangi and the southern beaches, so it is part of the coast section of this circuit rather than a separate inland climb like Gibbs Hill.

Yes. This hike is rated difficult, and the numbers explain why: it covers 19.56 km with 801 m of elevation gain. The inland Gibbs Hill section adds sustained climbing, and the full circuit is much more demanding than a short out-and-back walk to Separation Point alone.