"Collingwood" Collingwood by fishandchips

Collingwood is the gateway to Farewell Spit (in Maori ‘Onetahua’ or ‘heaped up sand’) and there are three operators in Collingwood providing trips out onto the spit - the 35 km sand bar that stretches into the sea forming the northernmost point of the South Island).

Out on the spit are many bird species and the remains of an old forest - mostly destroyed by an old storm. The lighthouse on the spit is another icon that provides good views along the spit from its top. I last visited here in 1985 (whilst on my honeymoon) and really enjoyed the area.

In 1856 the discovery of gold near Collingwood sparked New Zealand's first gold rush. These days Collingwood is a tiny town with a laid back approach to life.