If you look closely at a map of New Zealand, at the northern tip of the South Island you’ll see what looks like the long beak of the Kiwi bird. That ‘beak’ is Farewell Spit, at the end of Golden Bay, and its native Maori name is Tuhuroa. The spit itself is over 25 kilometres of golden sand - complete with dunes to run up and down - and the best part is that when you get to the top of it you’re at the point first spotted by Dutchman Abel Tasman during his ‘discovery’ of New Zealand in 1642. Due to its position and shape, Farewell Spit has seen more than its share of shipwrecks, but if you want to really explore it you can take sand dune tours, a trip to the lighthouse or even visit the gannet colony. The area is part of a protected nature reserve managed by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, so it’s the ideal place to relax and enjoy the bird and wildlife - if you’ve lucky you may even see whales.
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The tip of the Kiwi
If you look closely at a map of New Zealand, at the northern tip of the South Island you’ll see what looks like the long beak of the Kiwi bird. That ‘beak’ is Farewell Spit, at the end of Golden Bay, and its native Maori name is Tuhuroa. The spit itself is over 25 kilometres of golden sand - complete with dunes to run up and down - and the best part is that when you get to the top of it you’re at the point first spotted by Dutchman Abel Tasman during his ‘discovery’ of New Zealand in 1642. Due to its position and shape, Farewell Spit has seen more than its share of shipwrecks, but if you want to really explore it you can take sand dune tours, a trip to the lighthouse or even visit the gannet colony. The area is part of a protected nature reserve managed by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, so it’s the ideal place to relax and enjoy the bird and wildlife - if you’ve lucky you may even see whales.
