2 minute read
Tākaka & Golden Bay Must-Do's
Farewell Spit
Farewell Spit © NelsonNZ.com
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Huge dunes form a landing strip for thousands of shore birds (and over 90 species) that have migrated from the northern hemisphere. At 35km-long, the sandspit is a phenomenal sight but access is limited due to tide times. Eco-tours depart both Collingwood and Pūponga.
Anahata Yoga Retreat
Cradled in the forest with views across Golden Bay, stay in straw bale yurts, dorms and cottages. Totally off-grid, there’s a sauna, weekly fire ceremony and yoga workshops.
Heaphy Track
Collingwood is well situated for the Heaphy Track in Kahurangi National Park, an official Great Walk that covers 78.4km in four to six days. An increasingly popular option is to fly in to either end of the track, a service provided by Adventure Flights Golden Bay.
Aorere Valley
Follow the river to Aorere Valley for walks to the Ballroom Caves (once used by gold miners for dancing), swimming at Salisbury Creek and the staggering Devil’s Boots rock formations.
Collingwood Museum and Aorere Heritage Centre
Collingwood rapidly expanded and was then destroyed by fire. Learn all about this and more at two museums sat beside one another.
Ngārua Caves
An incredible underground adventure, this vast limestone cave is crammed with stalactites and vaulted caverns. Hidden within Marble Mountain on the Tākaka Hill range, guided tours lead the curious inside.
Wainui Waterfall
Just over 12km from Pohara this 20m waterfall is part of a one-hour return walk.
Anatoki Salmon
Fish for your salmon dinner on scenic Lake Anatoki. The team will then fillet, smoke and serve your catch. Eels, chickens, pigs and a café also reside on site.
Te Waikoropupū Springs
Te Waikoropupū Springs © Craig Parry / www.nelsontasman.nz
A 10-minute drive from Tākaka, you won’t find clearer water. Even at its deepest (63m), the clarity is shockingly glass-like. The springs are sacred to Māori, who ask visitors to refrain from eating, drinking, smoking or making contact with the water.
Tākaka Village Market
Small in scale but huge on community spirit, discover a trove of clothing, jewellery and keepsakes with a side of good food. Saturday 9am-1.30pm.
Labyrinth Rocks Park
A maze of rocky pathways peppered with weird and wonderful limestone formations. Take on the self-guided scavenger hunt to find rocks shaped like kissing pigs and dinosaurs. Toys have also been snuck between the rocks for kids to find and re-hide.
Rawhiti Cave
A wooden platform lurches into an enormous chamber of impressive stalactites. Much like jagged teeth, you’ll marvel at the grotesque beauty of this callus-riddled cave.
Wharariki Beach Trek
Join a guided horse trek and ride through caves and archways, past seals and surf, then canter along the beach, hooves pounding the white sand. Alternatively, you can walk along the sand using your own two feet.
Wharariki Beach © Ryan Domenico
