Farewell Spit
Farewell Spit (Māori: Onetahua) is a narrow sand spit at the northern end of the Golden Bay, in the South Island of New Zealand. The spit includes around 25 km (16 mi) of stable land and another 5 km (3.1 mi) of mobile sand spit running eastwards from Cape Farewell, the northern-most point of the South Island. Farewell Spit is the longest sand spit in New Zealand, and is a legally protected Nature Reserve. The area is designated as a Ramsar wetland site and an East Asian–Australasian Flyway Shorebird Network site. Farewell Spit is administered by the Department of Conservation as a seabird and wildlife reserve. Apart from a small area at the base of the spit, it is closed to the public except through organised tours. Conservation initiatives are in progress towards eliminating mammalian predators from Farewell Spit, including a proposal for a predator-proof fence.
The spit has been the site of many shipwrecks and vessel strandings, particularly in the era of merchant sailing vessels. A lighthouse with a tower constructed from timber was established on the end of the spit in 1870 to warn mariners of the dangers of the shoals and currents near the spit. The timbers of the original lighthouse did not last, and the entire lighthouse was replaced in 1897 using a steel lattice tower.
The spit is also known for herd strandings of long-finned pilot whales, and has been described as a ‘whale trap’ because of its protruding coastlines and long, gently sloping beaches.
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