One of the most beautiful beaches in the region – huge sand dunes, lagoon, caves, seals, birdlife and no roads nearby! Access is by easy path – from the end of Wharariki Road, walk over farmland and through a section of coastal forest to the beach. Please do not approach seals. Be aware of weather conditions and sea and surf can be rough. Fossil Point Loop – easy 1 hr return From the carpark, walk across Triangle Flat to see fossils in the mudstone and seals in the water. Return via Ocean Beach and a vehicle track. Pakawau Beach Good family swimming beach with shallow, warm waters. 15 minutes north of Colllingwood. Watching the speed of the tide flow into or out of the inlet is an experience in itself!

At Fox Glacier township, turn onto the Cook Flat road and drive for 5km, where you’ll see the turn off for Lake Matheson. The walk around Lake Matheson is best done at sunrise, and if the weather is clear and still, you will be rewarded with incredible reflections of Mount Cook. Any time of day, however, it’s a pleasant lakeside/ancient forest walk, with backdrop views of the Southern Alps, flanked by Aoraki/Mt Cook. Restaurant, toilets and carpark onsite.

Just outside of the Arthurs Pass village (on the West Coast side) are a number of reasonably short and easy walks, including the half hour track to the Devils Punchbowl Falls. A large bridge first takes you over the rocky river before the path winds up through the bush. The track is easy to follow and in good repair. Rocky in parts, some care needs to be taken as you clamber over tree roots, but much of the track has been set with board walk and steps. The bush scenery is lush and stunning, and as you arrive at the falls, a viewing platform gives you a good view of the Devil’s Punchbowl.

The whole track takes 3 – 5 days to complete, but there are plenty of places to enter and exit the track, making some fantastic half or full day walks. Anakiwa is right by the water, with picnic spots and toilets. You can start the track here and either return by the same path or come out at Mistletoe Bay. A pleasant, undulating walk of around 4 hours, with a mix of high up, sea views, native bush and mature beeches. If you feel like a good uphill grunt, start from the Portage Hotel and make your way up to one of the track’s highest points – the Kenepuru Saddle, with breathtaking views of the surrounding Sounds. It takes around 45 minutes to reach the treeline and view points, although there are plenty of lookouts on the way.

The seal colony is situated at Tauranga Bay 16 kilometres south of Westport. This is a breeding colony of New Zealand Fur Seals. The seals can be easily viewed at the end of an upgraded 10 minute track. Occasionally seals will climb the cliff and sit either on or near the walkway - please ensure you give them space as seals are wild creatures and should not be approached.

Situated at the northwest tip of the South Island, the distinctive Farewell Spit curves round Golden Bay – at 25km it’s the longest sand spit in NZ and is very visible from the air. As a nature reserve, Farewell Spit is known internationally and over 90 bird species are recorded in the area. Farewell Spit has also unfortunately witnessed several incidents of mass whale beachings over the years. Despite an enormous local turn out to attempt to save the whales, these beachings have often resulted in a saddening death toll.

An easy 40 min walk in Victoria Domain, past the historic ship ‘Echo’ moored on the Eastern side of the harbour. The walk to Bob's Bay is quite nice with two options - the upper or lower Bob's Bay track. It takes only 30 minutes to walk from Shelley Beach (just across the waterfront bridge and 10 mins from town) to Bob's Bay and there is a nice grassed area to have a play or picnic, plus good swimming beaches. The track can be quite slippery after rain or in winter.

This is an easy walkway that circles the Pancake Rock formations. A viewing highlight are the blowholes – the Chimney is a favourite. These are narrow cracks or holes that run from the sea right up through the rock. When the waves rush in, the water funnels up these holes and spurts from the top like steam from a train. Best viewing time for this phenomenon is at high tide, and/or in rough weather. You can find out tide and weather conditions from Punakaiki information centre.