Timing

You will have to wade the knee deep stream (the level may vary according to season and previous rainfall) to access the spit from the Ocean Beach side.

Access

From Featherston follow Western Lake Road 38 km then veer left at the signpost to Lake Onoke (right takes you to Ocean Beach). The road has now become unsealed and continues 1.5 km, ending abruptly at the knee deep stream behind the shingle dunes of the spit.

To access the spit from Lake Ferry, continue to the parking area at the roadend (4.1 km from the Cape Palliser turnoff). You can start an exploration this end, however as access is easier, it tends to be more frequented.

Track

You will have to wade the knee deep stream (the level may vary according to season and previous rainfall) to access the spit from the Ocean Beach side.

Heading east, the wide expanse of shingle opens up, smattered with driftwood and the waste of human activity. Dunes bound the lake on one side of this spit, while a menacing ocean breaks with untamed force on the other. The soothing chatter of rolling pebbles accompanies every wave.

Keep well back from the dunes, in fact walk by the ocean, especially during springtime, as many shore dwelling birds are nesting. Most nests are merely hollows in the ground and eggs can be camouflaged, so be vigilant.

The dunes diminish briefly and views north to Lake Onoke open up. The dunes then reappear towards Lake Ferry and the often barred mouth of Lake Onoke. This bar is often frequented by fishermen.

Fauna

Coastal birds such as banded dotterels, black backed gulls, Caspian terns and white fronted terns also use the site for nesting. Their greatest threat results from the use of motor vehicles, who use the spit for recreation. As most nests are merely shallow hollows in the sand, disturbance is common and could be reduced if vehicles stayed close to the ocean and away from the dunes.