Walks and Sights newsunrise 2016-11-16T02:38:34+00:00

Walks & Sights

The walks and sights around Golden Bay will be a highlight of your trip. Adventure to the wild and windy Wharariki Beach, walk the clifftops of Cape Farewell and enjoy the dunes of Farewell Spit. Gaze into the deep, clear Pupu Springs, wander the beautiful native forest of the Kaituna Track, stroll barefoot down the beaches of the Abel Tasman National Park and become enchanted by the enormous might of the Wainui Falls.

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Wharariki Beach & Farewell Spit

The wild northwestern coast of the South Island is the perfect place for a day adventure. In this area you’ll find the Farewell Spit, with it’s distinctive shape curving round Golden Bay; the massive cliffs at Cape Farewell, and the one of a kind Wharariki Beach. Wharariki will blow you away. Literally. Everything at Wharariki is big. Big waves, big cliffs, big sand dunes, big caves, and even bigger winds! There is a range of tracks with walking times from 20 minutes to 3 hours. You can also enjoy some lunch at Farewell Spit Cafe or an exciting Eco Tour out to the end of the spit to see the lighthouse and birdlife.

Pupu Springs & Hydro Walk

Te Waikoropupū Springs (commonly known as Pupu Springs) are the largest freshwater springs in New Zealand, the largest cold water springs in the Southern Hemisphere and contain some of the clearest water ever measured. Exploring the springs is an easy 15 minute walk through native bush and elevated boardwalks. The Pupu Hydro Walk is 10 minutes drive away from the springs. The Pupu Hydro Walkway retraces an old gold-mining water race, which has been reused for power generation. The Hydro Walk is steep in some parts and takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes. Read more about the Hydro walk here.

Kaituna Track

Beautiful native forest and gold-mining relics are the main attractions of the Kaituna Valley. To walk the whole track takes 8-9 hours, or there are shorter walks from 20 minutes to 2 hours. The rich forest and mild climate allow a wide range of birds to flourish: kereru (the New Zealand pigeon), tui, fantail, tomtit, bush robin, rifleman, silvereye and bellbird. Magnificent trees of northern rata, pukatea and rimu tower over a sub-canopy of nikau palms, heketara, wineberry, kamahi, and mahoe. Relax after your walk with a meal and drink from the nearby The Naked Possum Cafe.

Abel Tasman National Park

Abel Tasman National Park is renowned for its golden beaches, sculptured granite cliffs, and its world-famous coast track. For day walks you can drive to Totaranui where you will find plenty of short and medium length walks and stunning golden sand beaches. If you’re up for a multi-day walk then you can explore the Abel Tasman Coastal Track (that stops through Totaranui). You can also spend a day on the Sea Kayak Tours or take a trip on the Sea Shuttle.

Wainui Falls

A stunning native bush track along the Wainui River leads to Wainui Falls, the largest falls in Golden Bay. You will walk through a forest of nikau palms, rata trees and ferns. Keep a lookout for a possible sighting of the giant snail, Powelliphanta. Look but don’t touch! After 20 minutes you will cross the swing bridge over the Wainui River where you will hear the falls before they suddenly appear.