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Key facts
- Distance
- 12 km loop
- Walking time
- 3 – 4 hour loop
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Farewell Spit Nature Reserve and Pūponga Farm Park
- Dog access
- No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
Walk around the base of Farewell Spit, New Zealand’s longest sand spit.
This DOC directory entry covers Farewell Spit Walk in Tasman, within Farewell Spit Nature Reserve and Pūponga Farm Park. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 12 km loop
- Walking time: 3 – 4 hour loop
- DOC grade: Easy
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
From Triangle Flat car park, walk along Inner Beach for 4 kilometres to a marked track that crosses the spit to Ocean Beach.
Head along Ocean Beach (to the left) to the Farewell Spit Crossing 4WD road. Follow the road across the spit and then turn right to take the track back to the car park.
To extend the walk, continue along Ocean Beach past the 4WD road until you get to the Fossil Point Track. Follow this track back to the car park.
Getting there
From Collingwood, follow Collingwood-Puponga Main Road toward Pūponga. This road becomes Wharariki Road when it leaves the coast.
At the start of Wharariki Road, turn right onto Freeman Access Road and follow it to the Triangle Flat car park.
Know before you go
General visiting rules
No dogs or other pets are allowed.
Firearms are prohibited.
Camping is not permitted on both Farewell Spit Nature Reserve and the Pūponga Farm Park.
Take your rubbish away with you when you leave.
Do not light fires or smoke.
No fishing in the nature reserve.
Visiting Farewell Spit
Quicksand hazard
There is an intermittent issue with quicksand within the flat sand pans at the base of Farewell Spit.
This hazard exists in the flat open sand areas within the dunes, not out on the beach. The beaches, marked tracks and roads are safe for travel.
Foot access only
No vehicles or bikes are permitted on the beach past the car park at Triange Flat.
Stay at least 20 m from seals
There are a group of seal pups that use pools on the beach to play in. Please respect their home by following these rules:
Keep a respectful distance (at least 20 metres)
Do not follow or chase the seals.
It is an offense under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 to harass seals. What to do if you find a seal.
Nature and conservation
Several organisations including DOC, Manawhenua ki Mohua, Pest Free Onetahua and HealthPost Nature Trust are working collaboratively to enhance the unique ecosystem and look after the important native species found at Onetahua/Farewell Spit.
Conservation in Farewell Spit Nature Reserve and Pūponga Farm Park
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
