Fossil Point Track: Walking Guide, Time & Access

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Location & access

DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.

Official location information

Location source

DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.

Reference point: -40.51745, 172.74148. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.

DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.

Key facts

Distance: 2 km one way
Walking time: 30 min one way
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 across the base of Farewell Spit to Fossil Point, where you may see seals and fossils.

This DOC directory entry covers Fossil Point Track 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: 2 km one way
Walking time: 30 min one way
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 the Triangle Flat car park, walk across Triangle Flat to Ocean Beach through open farm land and coastal bush. Turn left, and walk along the beach to Fossil Point.

Fossilised shells and worm casts can be found in blocks of mudstone fallen from the cliffs. Seals are often seen here playing in the water. Stay at least 20 m away from seals.

For a longer, circuit trip (6 km, 1 hour 30 mins), follow the track as described above to get to Ocean Beach. Turn right, and head along Ocean Beach to the Farewell Spit Crossing 4WD road across the spit. Once across the spit, follow the 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.

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.

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.

Visiting Pūponga Farm Park

Seemingly harmless acts, such as leaving a gate open or taking a pet for a walk can have drastic consequences for farm management. Follow these rules when visiting the farm:

Cars and motorcycles must stay on formed roads and car park areas.
Leave gates as you find them; don't be tempted to close an open gate - it's open for a purpose!
Hay and bull paddocks, and the airstrip (during operations), are off limits to visitors.
Livestock, birds and plants are not to be disturbed or interfered with.

At times the farm may be closed to the public. This is usually during lambing or calving, or when the fire risk is extreme. During such times, visitors are asked to keep to roads and car parks.

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.