Farewell Spit

Farewell Spit curves east from the top of the South Island for more than twenty kilometres, a bar of dune and salt marsh built by currents carrying sand up the West Coast. Almost all of it is a nature reserve and closed to the public: visitors can walk the first few kilometres from the base, and beyond that only licensed tours run out to the lighthouse near the far end. The sheltered inner side is tidal flat that draws large numbers of migratory waders, including godwits that arrive from the northern hemisphere each spring, while the seaward side is open ocean beach. Whales strand in the shallow bay behind the spit from time to time.

What you actually see

• The dune walk - the public section from the base, over dunes to the ocean beach.
• The wader flats - tidal sand on the sheltered side, feeding ground for migratory birds.
• The lighthouse - the tower near the far end, reached only on a licensed tour.
• Wharariki Beach - arches, stacks and seal pups on the coast just west of the spit's base.

When to go

September to March covers the migratory bird season, when godwits and knots are on the flats, and brings the calmest weather for a tour. Tours run to tide times rather than clock times, so departures shift daily and need booking, particularly over summer. The short public walk is possible year round, though the exposed dunes are hard work in strong wind.

Honest expectations

You cannot walk the spit: the public section ends after a few kilometres and the rest requires an expensive half-day tour in a modified bus. The landscape is subtle, and people expecting drama find flat sand and marram grass. Wind is relentless and the sand gets into everything. Birds are distant, so binoculars or a scope make a large difference.

Nearby

Wharariki Beach and Cape Farewell are a short drive west, with Golden Bay and Takaka to the south.