Farewell Spit is at the very top of New Zealand’s South Island, curving east from Cape Farewell at the entrance to Golden Bay in the Tasman Region.

Exact location

  • Farewell Spit is a long sand spit on the northwest tip of the South Island, formed where Cape Farewell meets the Tasman Sea.
  • It extends eastwards from near the small settlement of Pūponga, partly enclosing Golden Bay and facing the Tasman Sea on the outer side.

Nearby towns and access

  • The main access area is around Pūponga and Triangle Flat, north of Collingwood in the Tasman/Nelson region of New Zealand.
  • Visitors usually stay or pass through Collingwood or Tākaka before driving to the car parks and lookouts near the base of the spit.

Nature reserve and restrictions

  • Farewell Spit is a protected wildlife and wetland area, internationally recognised for its birdlife and listed as a wetland of international significance.
  • Public access is generally limited to the first few kilometres; beyond that you normally need a guided tour because of conservation rules and safety concerns.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.