Farewell Spit Eco Tours Blog

The Gypsy is the lastest in a long line of 4×4 buses to be used on the Spit.

She is a 28 seat MJR model Bedford that has been extensively modified for driving on the beach.

She made her first trip to the Lighthouse with a group of youngsters (Rangitahi) from the region who were staying at the local Marae connecting with their roots.

A few days ago we were visited by a chap from Scotland called Simon Varwell (Mullet man) who is travelling the world in his spare time going to places with the word mullet in the name.

When he came with us to Mullet Channel on the Spit he had a couple of people from TV NZ with him who were filming some of his exploits.

TV NZ featured the story on Close Up on 30 January. Click here to view video. New browser window will open.

To see what Simon has been up to go to his website and have a look at his blog.

Hope you dont mind us "borrowing" your photo from your website Simon

This Sperm whale, an older male stranded near the beginning of the Spit after swimming around in Golden Bay for a day or two.

His jaw was removed by local iwi and his body has been donated to science. He was towed away to be sunk and his remains monitored by scientists as they decompose.

The annual Swan count has just been done and there are about 9900 of them on the intertidal plain of the Spit. The Black Swan originally came from Australia, probably blown over in storms. Then in the 1860s  more  were introduced as game birds. They thrive on the Spit as there seems to be an unending supply of zostera (Eelgrass) for them to eat. Last year there were about 6000 Swan and there have been up to 14000 in the past.

Twenty one Pilot whales are now swimming safely away from Farewell Spit thanks to the effort of local Department of Conservation staff and volunteers. Some of the original number were stranded and could not be helped. However the use of a small boat to shepherd the whales out to sea as the tide fell was very effective. A small army of helpers was on hand to assist but the majority were not needed. This was the third whale stranding on the spit in just a few weeks. Three beaked whales on the ocean beach a Sperm whale in Puponga and now the pilot whales. The Farewell Spit whale trap is very effective this year.