1 active Westland Tai Poutini alert
- CautionActive landslide zones on Copland TrackDo not stop in either of Copland Track’s signposted active landslide zones; take extra care during and after heavy rain.Official details
Overview
About Gillespies Beach Campsite
Why stop
- Short walks reach historic dredges and a miners’ tunnel.
- The coast opens to Southern Alps views.
Heads up
- Sandflies can make time outside uncomfortable.
- The narrow gravel approach rules out larger vehicles and trailers.
Map
Where it is
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Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Westland Tai Poutini Tour Guide
Your drive to Gillespies Beach Campsite, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Westland Tai Poutini National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Westland Tai Poutini audio tourRecorded for this place
Gillespies Beach and the Failed Gold Dredge0:00 / 0:32
“Gillespies Beach is ahead, with dark sand, rounded pebbles and, when the clouds allow, the Southern Alps rising inland. Come for a shore walk and the old gold workings; strong surf makes it a poor choice for a swim.”
Plays as you drive up to Gillespies Beach Campsite in the Parkwolf Westland Tai Poutini Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Gillespies Beach Miners Cemetery
- The Lake That Powered the Dredge
- The Partnership in a Lichen
- Kahikatea and the Butter Box
- 49 audio storiesacross Westland Tai Poutini’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, Blue Duck, Kererū, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 31 trails, 53 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Gillespies Beach Campsite
A small coastal baseA DOC standard campground beside the old gold-mining settlement at Gillespies Beach, with eight…
A DOC standard campground beside the old gold-mining settlement at Gillespies Beach, with eight non-powered tent sites and coastal walks starting nearby. It suits a simple night by the Tasman and a closer look at the old workings. Book before you drive out; DOC requires reservations.
Follow the gold trailThe 400 m Suction Dredge loop passes late-19th-century dredge remains and panels about the gold…
The 400 m Suction Dredge loop passes late-19th-century dredge remains and panels about the gold town. A 1.6 km return walk crosses gorse-covered tailings to a bucket dredge from the 1930s. The 3.6 km Miners Tunnel Track climbs an old glacier moraine through the tunnel, built as an all-tide route for miners, to a viewpoint above the beach. For a longer outing, the 6.8 km return track to Galway Beach winds through rimu forest to a winter seal haul-out.
Plan for a basic campFox Glacier is 21 km away by road, with more than half the drive on narrow, unsealed road.
Fox Glacier is 21 km away by road, with more than half the drive on narrow, unsealed road. DOC warns against taking campervans, caravans or towing vehicles; keep left and drive slowly. The campground has toilets and a cooking shelter, but no powered sites. Fires are prohibited, and dogs must be leashed at camp; dogs are not allowed on the tracks. Sandflies can be heavy, so bring repellent. Tap-water treatment information conflicts, so bring drinking water or check locally before relying on it.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Westland Tai Poutini
89 sightingsKeaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
10 sightingsBlue DuckMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
80 sightingsKererūMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
38 sightingsTūīMost seen around 5 AMSighting map
10 sightingsNew Zealand FalconMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
28 sightingsYellow-crowned ParakeetMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Westland Tai Poutini. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
