Golden Bay is a small region at the top of the South Island famous for its unspoilt beaches and quiet pace of life. There are heaps of fun things to do in Golden Bay, including trips to Abel Tasman National Park, the scenic drive to Anatori and a place where you’ll see some of the clearest water in New Zealand.
Tākaka and nearby
Tākaka is the biggest town in Golden Bay and you’ll most likely pass through it a couple of times. If you’re looking for somewhere to stay in Golden Bay it’s your best bet, although Collingwood is nice too.
Tākaka Hill
The steep, winding road over Tākaka Hill separates Golden Bay from the rest of the South Island and can be a little intimidating. The good news about drives like this in New Zealand is that the views are usually stunning, and it’s the same for Tākaka Hill.
It takes around an hour to drive from one side of the hill to the other (Motueka to Tākaka). There are a few places to pull over and grab some photos, or you could check out Ngarua Caves (short cave tours), Harwood’s Hole or Tākaka Hill Walkway. Stop at Riuwaka Resurgence on the Motueka side if you have time.
Te Waikoropupū Springs
You’ll see some of the clearest water in New Zealand on the short walk around Te Waikoropupū Springs. It’s one of the most popular things to do in Golden Bay and it’s easy to see why! For the best experience try to get there while the sun is shining (and not too early / late) as it looks a lot better in good light.
The Grove / Labyrinth Rocks
The Grove is a forest area just outside of Tākaka with an interesting twist. Massive rocks are strewn along and around the short track — definitely one of the more unique bits of forest you’ll see. That is unless you’ve already been to the Labyrinth Rocks — it’s very similar but, as you might expect from the name, it’s a little easier to get lost.
Tata Beach
Pretty much everyone knows Abel Tasman National Park is home to the South Island’s best beeches, but there’s a much more accessible beach in Golden Bay which is almost as nice. Tata Beach is stunning, and only a 20-minute drive from Tākaka — it’s a great option if you’re not keen to drive the whole way to Totaranui.
Rawhiti Cave
One of our favourite caves in the South Island is found on the outskirts of Tākaka. Rawhiti Cave is located up a steep, muddy hill — definitely not the easiest place to visit! Once at the top you’ll see the cave mouth filled with thousands of stalactites guarding the entrance. You can’t walk very far in but what you can see is really impressive.
READ MORE: Top 12 Caves in the South Island
Downtown Tākaka
Tākaka is a cute little town with plenty of places to eat, sleep and drink. There are also a few galleries (lots of artistic people live in Golden Bay) and as you’ve already seen there’s heaps to do nearby. It’s a great base for exploring the Golden Bay region — check out our post about the best things to do in Tākaka for more information.
Abel Tasman National Park
The Totaranui side of Abel Tasman National Park is accessible down a long gravel road. It takes around an hour to drive there from Tākaka, passing by Tata Beach along the way.
Totaranui Beach + Walks
After that winding drive you can hang out at Totaranui Beach or do a walk on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. Walk in either direction and you’ll find stunning beaches, including Anapai Bay and Goat Bay. You could see both with around five hours of hiking. There’s a huge camping ground at Totaranui Beach — it could be a good idea to stay a night or two if you’re keen to explore Abel Tasman National Park for more than just a day.
Wainui Falls
You’ll pass by Wainui Falls on the drive from Tākaka to Totaranui. The walk should take around 30 minutes all up and it’s easy — a beautiful waterfall at the end too! It’s far more interesting than any inland places you’ll see on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. Combine it with the walk to Anapai Bay and/or Goat Bay and you’ll see some of the best the national park has to offer in one day! You could even do it from Nelson if you really had to (3-4 hours’ drive each way).
Collingwood + Western Golden Bay
Here’s a collection of some of the other best things to do in Golden Bay, mostly centered around the Collingwood side of the region.
Collingwood
Collingwood is about a quarter of the size of Tākaka and is the only other proper town in Golden Bay. The waterfront area is nice and it’s a good base for exploring the nearby area, which includes most of the stuff below. There’s also a decent beach in Collingwood and it’s the starting point for tours to Farewell Spit.
READ MORE: 10 of the Best Things to Do in Collingwood
Wharariki Beach
If you’re only going to visit one beach in Golden Bay, it should be Wharariki Beach. Famous for its rock formations just offshore and caves along the beach, it’s perfect for strolling at sunset. It’s a bit of a walk from the car park to the beach but it’s very scenic, with rolling green hills all around.
Cape Farewell
Cape Farewell is right at the northern tip of the South Island, a short drive or walk from Wharariki Beach. There’s a platform right by the carpark with a good view of Cape Farewell, but if you’re keen for a short walk head up the hills either side for a better look.
Puponga Farm Track
The sights in this part of Golden Bay (Wharariki Beach, Cape Farewell + others) are linked together by the Puponga Farm Track. It’s made up of several shorter tracks and it’s easy to just do a specific section. We walked either side of Cape Farewell — to the north we got a good look at Farewell Spit and to the south we saw Wharariki Beach from above. So many cool views and we only saw a small section — let us know if you’ve done the whole thing!
Farewell Spit
There are some walks you can do around the base of Farewell Spit, but if you want to see the whole thing you’ll need to book a tour. We missed it last time we visited but my mum did it a few years back and raved about it. The photo of Farewell Spit below was taken close to Cape Farewell — you can get a decent view of it from up there on a clear day.
Anatori
This long drive from Collingwood takes you along a mostly gravel road to the Anatori River. A little further past that is the end of the road, with about 50 km of wilderness between it and the northernmost tip of the road in Kohaihai.
The drive to Anatori features some awesome views, and it’s always cool to see “end of the road” places like this. Jackson Bay, at the southern end of the West Coast is another one to check out.
Heaphy Track
Part of the wilderness I mentioned south of Anatori is the Heaphy Track, a Great Walk which takes 4-5 days to complete. One end of the track starts close to Collingwood while the other is at Kohaihai on the West Coast — we did the walk to Scotts Beach from the Kohaihai end and highly recommend it — one of the best beaches on the West Coast!
Other Things to Do in Golden Bay
Other things to do in Golden Bay include golf, watersports, walks (heaps of walks I haven’t mentioned here) and cycling. There are also some interesting pockets of history to explore and some very windswept and lonely stretches of beach. Golden Bay is a special region of the South Island — a compact little area full of natural beauty and so many different walks and scenic drives to take advantage of it. Add it to your South Island itinerary!
Are you planning a trip to New Zealand? Check out our South Island travel guide for lots of tips!
Jon Algie
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