Golden Bay Area Guide
Golden Bay lies in the far north western corner of the South Island, the sweeping crescent shaped bay encircled by the long arm of Farewell Spit.The bay was named after gold was discovered near the northern town of Collingwood in 1853, the discovery sparking a short-lived rush of prospectors to the area. Now the region is known for its golden summers, attracting scores of New Zealand families, who return to their favourite beach every Christmas, making the long journey over the formidable Takaka Hill to get to Totaranui, Pohara, or Pakawau.
Golden Bay's main town is laid back Takaka, 60 kilometres north of Motueka, with its population of alternative lifestylers, artists, and farmers. Many of the area's best artists and craftspeople live and work locally, and the work of talented photographers, painters, potters, woodworkers, jewellers and weavers is showcased in local galleries and can also be seen online.
The unusual karst rock landscape of the Takaka Hill, with its vast underground cave system and unpredictable sink holes can be explored on the Takaka Hill Walkway, a network of trails near the summit, just off state highway 60. A separate walking track, which is accessed off Canaan Road, leads to the 176-metre deep Harwood's Hole, the deepest vertical cave shaft in the country. A site just off the Canaan Road was used to portray the scene in the Lord of the Rings where Strider leads the hobbits from Bree through the Chetwood Forest.
Just north of Takaka, the Te Waikoropupu Springs (known as Pupu Springs) is the largest freshwater spring in New Zealand, the crystal clear water surging up from the ground, and making the sand dance.