Farewell Spit

Top choice

Bleak, exposed and positively sci-fi, Farewell Spit is a wetland of international importance and a renowned bird sanctuary – the summer home of thousands of migratory waders, notably the godwit, Caspian tern and Australasian gannet. Walkers can explore the first 4km of the spit via a network of tracks (see DOC's Farewell Spit & Puponga Farm Park brochure; $2 or download from www.doc.govt.nz). Beyond that point access is limited to trips with the brilliant Farewell Spit Tours, scheduled according to tides.

The spit's 35km beach features colossal, crescent-shaped dunes, from where panoramic views extend across Golden Bay and a vast low-tide salt marsh.

At the foot of the spit is a hilltop visitor-centre-cum-cafe – a convenient spot to write a postcard over a coffee, especially on an inclement day.

Suggest an edit to this attraction

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Te Waikoropupū Springs
22.62 MILES
Around 14,000L of water per second bubble up from underground vents here, making it the largest freshwater spring in the southern hemisphere. It's also…
Wharariki Beach
3.63 MILES
This remote, dramatically beautiful beach is a magnificent introduction to the West Coast, with a seal colony at its eastern end and otherworldly rock…
Rawhiti Cave
25.98 MILES
The ultimate in geological eye-candy around these parts are the phytokarst features of Rawhiti Cave, a 15-minute drive from Takaka (reached via Motupipi,…
Anatoki Salmon
25.04 MILES
Here's your chance to catch a salmon and have it smoked for lunch or prepared as super-fresh sashimi. Rods and instructions are provided, but the fish…
Grove Scenic Reserve
23.52 MILES
Between Pōhara and Takaka (signposted down Clifton Rd), you will find this crazy limestone maze punctuated by gnarled old rata trees and tall pencil-thin…
Skinner Point Lookout
25.62 MILES
Beautiful views across Waiharakeke Bay to Awaroa Head, and the long, golden beach of Totaranui can be enjoyed at the Skinner Point lookout.
Separation Point Lookout
22.47 MILES
The lookout at Separation Point, at the northern end of Abel Tasman National Park, has panoramic views of Golden Bay and the Tasman Sea.
Collingwood Museum
11.22 MILES
This tiny unstaffed museum fills a corridor of the former council office with a quirky collection of saddlery, moa bones, shells, sewing machines and old…

View more attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Wharariki Beach

3.63 MILES

This remote, dramatically beautiful beach is a magnificent introduction to the West Coast, with a seal colony at its eastern end and otherworldly rock…

2. Collingwood Museum

11.22 MILES

This tiny unstaffed museum fills a corridor of the former council office with a quirky collection of saddlery, moa bones, shells, sewing machines and old…

3. Separation Point Lookout

22.47 MILES

The lookout at Separation Point, at the northern end of Abel Tasman National Park, has panoramic views of Golden Bay and the Tasman Sea.

4. Te Waikoropupū Springs

22.62 MILES

Around 14,000L of water per second bubble up from underground vents here, making it the largest freshwater spring in the southern hemisphere. It's also…

5. Golden Bay Museum

23.48 MILES

This small museum's standout exhibits include a diorama depicting Abel Tasman’s 1642 landing, and some dubious human taxidermy. Ask about the albatross,…

6. Grove Scenic Reserve

23.52 MILES

Between Pōhara and Takaka (signposted down Clifton Rd), you will find this crazy limestone maze punctuated by gnarled old rata trees and tall pencil-thin…

7. Anatoki Salmon

25.04 MILES

Here's your chance to catch a salmon and have it smoked for lunch or prepared as super-fresh sashimi. Rods and instructions are provided, but the fish…

8. Skinner Point Lookout

25.62 MILES

Beautiful views across Waiharakeke Bay to Awaroa Head, and the long, golden beach of Totaranui can be enjoyed at the Skinner Point lookout.

View more attractions