Golden bay is exactly that, a long bay laden with sun drenched golden sand. It is a heavenly spot on a fine day (which is quite often in this sunny part of the world). The best way to see this area is by car as other transport is limited. Farewell spit, at the the most northern point of the region, is a must see. The Spit is New Zealand's longest sandspit system, extending eastward in the Tasman Sea for approximately 30 km, but sheltered to the south with tidal mudflats extending up to 6 km seaward at low tide. It hosts up to 83 species of wetland birds and large flocks of lesser knot, bar-tailed godwit migrate south to spend the southern summer on the spit while South Island pied oystercatcher spend the southern winter in the area. Its mudflats provide a major moulting site for about 12,000 black swan. The spit is also home and breeding grounds for colonies of Australasian gannet, Caspian tern, southern black-backed gull, red-billed gull and variable oystercatcher.