You may have seen photos of the iconic archway rocks at Nelson’s Wharariki Beach, but actually experiencing this wild and windswept stretch of coastline is something quite remarkable.
Not easily reached, it’s an hour’s drive from Tākaka, followed by a 20-minute walk across farmland to get to Wharariki Beach.
But the effort is worth it when you arrive at one of the most dramatic coastal landscapes in New Zealand.
With rolling sand dunes, cliffs, caves, rock formations and islands, it is an explorer’s dream.
The windswept bushland is equally intriguing, and to top it off, Wharariki is also home to a seal breeding area in the rock pools, and behind the shifting dunes, there are coastal lakes and swamps with rare plants.
