Seal Colony at Tauranga Bay - Cape Foulwind

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From Tauranga Bay (15km west of Westport) take a 10 minute walk on a well-formed track to the viewing platform above the colony of New Zealand fur seals (kekeno). No, the cape wasn’t named because of the smell from the hundreds of seals that congregate here, though you would be forgiven for thinking so at the height of their season. The name came from Captain James Cook’s description of the gales around the cape which hammered his ship Endeavour on his 1770 voyage. The seas may be rough, but they are rich in food for the seals, and the rocky shore is a safe place for them to rest and sunbathe. If you want to see the pups and their antics, early in the year is a good time, as they are born late December.

The Cape Foulwind Walkway leads past the lighthouse. Local surfers sometimes take advantage of the Tauranga Bay waves. Tauranga Bay is a recognised surfing mecca. It has a left-hand point and beach break, which is best at low tide in a 2 metre swell.