Before leaving Abel Tasman National Park and the very top of the South Island, Joana and I decided to head a bit further north and stay the night at Collingwood, the last of the tiny towns on the 60 going north. We partly wanted to see if we could do the first part of the Heaphy track, but were also seduced by the warm showers at Collingwood Holiday Park.

In the morning, we decided instead to do a hike on Farewell Spit, this incredibly long sandspit at the very tippy top of the South Island. Initially, we thought to just explore the nature refuge and Joana would get to do a morning run. We got to do that, but man oh man were we blown away by the other side.

The hike was about 25 minutes further north from Collingwood, an absolutely beautiful drive that hugged the coast. When we drove the tide was already low, which made it amazing to see - dark, rippled sandbars that go for hundreds of meters until the ocean in the distance.

The last part of the hike was a dirt road that eventually led to... a bunch of sheep. The trailhead parking was surrounded by sheep, some of which we had to wait to move in order to park, and then we got out and checkout the the beach and refuge.

Seeing as the tide was low, the ocean was way off in the distance even though the true sand beach was not so wide. In where the ocean used to be, you could see dozens of Black Swans and both types of Oystercatchers (Variable and South Island), always in pairs, always making adorable squeaks. Even further down the beach I also spotted some cute banded dotterels (no photos, too far away, sorry)! The pictures (as usual) don't do the scenery justice, the mix of sandbar, beach, and wildlife was serene and peaceful.

At some point you have to cross to the other side, as you aren't allowed to walk all the way to the point. The crossing was amazing, and was a sudden and welcoming change from the peacefulness of the beach refuge. The second you left the beach, long wild grasses, ponds, and large sand dunes appeared. The wind picked up, the sun hit harder, it felt more wild. 

There was one last climb up a sand dune when the other side of the spit appeared, and wow what is a sight. 

This section of the hike became our favorite hike so far in NZ as neither of us had been at a beach like that before - the mixture of the misty weather, the sun, the wind, and the absurdly wide and shallow beach reflecting everything made everything shade of silver mixed with gold when sun rays made it through.

Getting to the beach was incredibly fun - running down the sand dunes made it feel more like we were in a desert than a sandspit in New Zealand.

After hiking back, you make the crossing back to the other side through some pretty wooded landscape. We couldn't help but remark the absurdity of the different environments in this one hike: a peaceful wildlife refuge, a sand dune & shrubland crossing, a wide, misty, and wild beach, and this little peaceful piece of forest on the way back.

We got to the end, packed our bags, said bye to the sheeps, and began our drive down to the West Coast of NZ.

Hiking Farewell Spit, NZ