Farewell Spit Eco Tours Blog

Farewell Spit is often described as a windy place.

What makes it seem windier is the fact that you can not only feel the wind but when the sand really flies you can see it too.

This photo was taken in January with a 25 knot westerly blowing.

Yes it is sometimes hard on paint

Our new Argo eight wheeled all terrain vehicle is just the thing for viewing Wading birds whilst they are roosting on the Spit.

We have been doing tours to see these birds for a number of years now but until this Summer have been denied the ability to see large flocks and to remain on the beach until high tide.

Having a maximum of four people each time makes it really seem like we have the place to our selves.

This photo was taken a few days before they left the Spit and shows just how colourful they become.

One our recent Wader watching tours to Farewell spit we have noticed an increasing number of Godwits and Knots changing colour indicating that they are getting ready to begin their migration to Alaska.

This photo was taken a few days ago.

The little Argo five seater is proving a real hit with bird watchers on Farewell Spit. The ability of this small vehicle to move over very soft terrain enables us to come off the Spit at high tide, more than an hour later than we could in a conventional van or bus.

This means we see more waders in bigger flocks which is what we like.

Then in Christchurch maybe it was an alien?  It turned out to be part of a whale.

Each time one of these becomes washed up we get a little more information.

The photos here are of the blob we found beyond the lighthouse on Farewell sit in 1990 or there abouts. We could find no information about it then and guessed it was part of a squid. A few years ago something similar was washed up on an Australian beach and identified as part of a whale but not which part.

Look here to see what it really was.

Last night on TV One there was a very interesting segment on close up about the effects of a sea wall on the migratory waders, have a look here to see it.

Farewell Spit has been on Television a number of times but Saturday was the first time a television was seen on Farewell Spit. It washed up out near the Gannet colony we are waiting till it dries out to see if it works.

On the same trip two crayfish were seen walking along the ocean beach.

Today is the first this season for Gannet colony tours so we are looking forward to seeing changes there.

A Gnome Away from home 2009 was  rip roaring success.

Friday night quiz night posed the usual curley questions, Farewell spit featured in saturday’s entertainment and on sunday was the very first Gnome Run almost twenty participants tore around the course,  some running some walking.

The gnome tossing and bungee thrilled all participants and the crowd alike.

Takaka’s citizens band performed in the street as they have never been seen before.

Colin coke and Alan Swafford entertained with gnome flavoured busking before the street race.

Here are some of the pictures.

Farewell Spit Eco Tours stand at the recent ecofest in Nelson was well visited by people heading for Golden Bay in the near future. Elaine was the source of information and key point for enquiries and Paddy checked out t he electric bicycles on the neighbouring stand. Alan Kilgour from Golden Bay Promotions was on another nearby booth on Saturday and we shared one on Sunday when the weather came right.

In a few days Garden Gnomes from all over will be coming to Collingwood for the weekend. Our boys are waiting……..

We let her out of the office a while ago and Shelley the office chick found a Sunfish on Farewell Spit. These fish get stranded on the intertidal plain as the tide recedes. Sadly there is nothing we can do to save them all we can do is marvel we we find them.