Farewell Spit Eco Tours — Attraction in South Island

Great company they had there busses taking people out to the spit to help the stranded whales when I was there big ups to the hard work those guys put in to get us all out there to help highly recommend the trip out there awesome buses to ride in on the sand...

We had an afternoon tour of the spit and arrived back after 7pm so it was a little late. This would be the only very tiny issue we had but you have to work in with the tide and weather conditions to go on this tour. We had been on holiday in the South Island for just over three weeks and we had managed to get a great weather day even though the forecast was not great a few days before or after. You can’t go on the spit unless you are on a tour or work for DOC.

We found the tour absolutely excellent. Our guide Allan was very informative, enthusiastic and humorous with lots of historical anecdotes. I do also feel that when a guide is as enthusiastic as his customers about seeing birds it adds something to the trip. Allan did say his geology knowledge was a little lacking which I was fine with but this has inspired me to find out more about the geology of the area. I don’t have a lot of knowledge of NZ sea birds ( I have a huge interest in the native land birds) so for me the information on the seas birds as well as Allan’s enthusiasm was also inspirational. I actually live not too far from Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre and to my shame have not visited here for the birds. I shall be changing that this summer.

I wondered if the stories of getting stuck in the quicksand on the beach were real but even if not, it did add an extra thrill factor! 😊 .

I was on the trip with my elderly parents, neither of whom had been to the spit before. It was a bucket list item they were able to check off and they too were impressed with the tour. It was my second trip. My mum is challenged mobility-wise but she was still able to get on & off the bus okay with minor assistance. Short walking distances made it possible for her to mostly participate. Dad at 80 years old and still really active was completely fine with the trip including going up the sand dunes. On our trip there was another bloke who got off the bus before Collingwood. I think he was from Taranaki- he said this was also a bucket list item for him, which he said he really enjoyed.

If you are interested -even in small amounts- scenery, sea-birds, geology, fossils, seals, history and protecting a very special place, this is the tour for you.

I think all New Zealanders should do this trip if they can.

If you are booking a trip you need to factor in tides and times. We were staying a few days and we were lucky with the weather. Just bear this in mind. If you only have one day and one window it might affect your trip. For the mobility-challenged – if you can manage getting in and out of the bus and short flat walks you...

This tour is highly recommended. We were fortunate to have a driver/guide named Alan whose knowledge, perception, and commentary was exceptional! This was a six and a half hour tour that became a learning experience of a lifetime. So much history, marine biology, ecology, ornithology, geography and more, plus general knowledge — warmly and interestingly shared interspersed with fascinating stories. There were frequent stops at places of interest with time to stretch one’s legs and photograph the magic of this part of Aotearoa. Alan was on the lookout all the way for migratory birds of interest. We stopped to observe a small flock of godwits and learned about their migratory habits, navigation and the incredible biological changes they undergo in the process. Similarly, there was a stunning view of a white heron or Kōtuku and many other birds, and creatures or their remains. The moving patterns of sand made a stunning visual effect en route and the time we spent at the lighthouse and environs was again fascinating and informative. There we were treated with refreshments, a talk about the lighthouse and its keepers and had a chance to look at the books kept there on features of interest such as the whales and the godwits. A collection of shells and other found marine objects from the beach — such as the paper nautilus —were carefully displayed treasures of interest. This trip has to be one of NZ’s...