Farewell Spit Eco Tours Blog

For the last several days Whale spouts have been seen near Cape Farewell at the beginning of Farewell Spit.

Farewell Spit Eco Tours guides and clients have had a grandstand view from the clifftops and a pod of 4 were seen yesterday, we think they are Humpback Whales. They migrate at this time of year and it is a rare treat to have them hanging around our part of the world. Have a look here at one of the spouts just beyond a boiling school of fish.

Just two weeks ago the beach in front of the Farewell Spit lighthouse was as flat as a flat thing that had just been through a press.

Now though with just a few windy days many small dunes have formed and are tumbling toward the end of the Spit.

The westerly wind is responsible for this.

Sometimes when things go just right you see something special.

This was one of those times.

Looking back at the Farewell Spit Lighthouse from near the Gannet Colony just as a rain shower passed over.

Have a look at our photo gallery to enlarge this image.

The Belladonna Lillies or "Naked Ladies" planted by the Lighthouse keepers in days gone by flower every year about this time.

These ones are along the path at the foot of the lighthouse.

The concrete in the path is made of sand cement and shells, the shells were used instead of stones as there was  no gravel nearby.

The native sand binding plants near the lighthouse on Farewell Spit are flourishing now.

The photo above is of female spinifex plants near the lighthouse at the end of Farewell Spit. The spiny heads break off and the wind spreads the seed. The male plant below has much smaller flowers.

Just before sunset the light is just right for photos of the sand and taking in the view of the intertidal plain on the inner beach of Farewell Spit..

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.

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.