Abel Tasman Swim Run

Swim Run Trips

The joy of moving through wild places in a completely different way

Swim Run trips have a special kind of energy. They are playful, slightly unconventional, and deeply immersive — a way of moving through the landscape that feels adventurous from the start.

How it started

In early 2018, I casually mentioned to my friend John Hancock that I’d love to run the length of the Abel Tasman Track over a summer weekend. John is a well-known Swim Run enthusiast in New Zealand, and what started as a passing comment quickly turned into a group Swim Run weekend. Swim Run is also known as ‘ÖTILLÖ’ in it’s origin country of Sweden.

A memorable adventure

We swam and ran our way along the coast from Totaranui to Marahau over a day and a half, with glamping in the middle. It was such a fun and memorable experience that it sparked an annual event for several summers. The following year we went to Waiheke Island, see below, and the year after that a tour of the Bay of Plenty.

Why this kind of trip matters

What I love about Swim Run is the sense of freedom and play it creates. You are constantly shifting between elements, moving through beautiful places in a way that feels adventurous, social, and a little bit wild.

For me, Swim Run trips are a reminder that some of the best adventures begin with a simple idea and the right people.

Waiheke island

A year on from our first trip I organised an reunion of the Abel Tasman gang, this time destination Waiheke Island, which I knew from my previous trail running trip would be great destination for Swim Run - warm water and beautiful trails. I hired a bach at Onetangi beach in the middle of the island and over a long weekend eight of us ran and swam around some fabulous trails, headlands and bays using the Te Ara Hura trail network as our base.