Farewell Spit

About this place

Farewell Spit, Onetahua in Māori, is a narrow sand spit at the northern end of Golden Bay on New Zealand's South Island, with its base about 24 km in a straight line north-west of the town of Collingwood. It includes about 25 km of stable land and another 5 km of mobile sand running east from Cape Farewell, the northernmost point of the South Island. It is the longest sand spit in New Zealand and a legally protected nature reserve, listed as a Ramsar wetland and as a site on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway shorebird network. The Department of Conservation manages it as a seabird and wildlife reserve, and apart from a small area at its base it is closed to the public except on organised tours. At the base, the wide beach at Fossil Point stretches beneath white cliffs, its wet sand mirroring the sky and hills, and oystercatchers gather on the rocks. Further along are tall sand dunes and vast tidal flats where thousands of migrating birds stop over, and the white-and-orange lattice Farewell Spit lighthouse stands near its end. Exploring the base is free, and guided bus tours to the lighthouse are paid and run with the tides. The wind is strong and the sand blows, so bring a jacket and glasses.