Known for its stunning scenery and natural areas, the Golden Bay area, features a number of tracks including the Abel Tasman Inland Track. Farewell Spit and Puponga Farm Park are other area highlights.
Takaka, the main town in Golden Bay, is 107 km northwest of Nelson on State Highway 60. Collingwood is 27 km further north. Regular bus services link the Nelson area with Golden Bay.
Farewell Spit, at the tip of the South Island, is New Zealand’s longest sand spit. Take a guided tour of this internationally-renowned bird sanctuary or explore Puponga Farm Park.Location: The top of the South Island.
Te Waikoropupū 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.Location: Golden Bay
Learn what awaits visitors to Westhaven, the first estuary in New Zealand to be protected by a combination of marine and wildlife reserve.Location: Golden Bay
Abel Tasman Memorial acknowledges the first and only visit by Dutch explorer Abel Janzoon Tasman to Golden Bay in 1642. It sits on a prominent coastal rock outcrop between Pohara Beach and Wainui Bay.Location: Golden Bay.
NZ weather
New Zealand topographic maps are available from DOC Visitor Centres
Stop the spread of didymo
Check, Clean, Dry all items before entering, and when moving between, waterways.
Safety information
Always contact the nearest visitor centre for the latest information about facilities and conditions.
