Gillespies Beach
A remote beach from the gold-rush era, strewn with driftwood and pebbles. On clear evenings you can see the Southern Alps at sunset, and walk to a seal colony.
About 20 km west of Franz Josef, with the last stretch on a gravel road, this area was a gold-mining district in the 19th century. Remains of old dredges and miners’ graves can still be seen. The beach is covered in driftwood and pebbles, and on clear evenings the snowy peaks of the Southern Alps glow at sunset. A round trip along the beach and forest tracks takes about 3.5 hours and leads to the Galway Beach seal colony. Approaching is prohibited from September to February, when seal pups are present. There is a DOC campsite here. Sandflies are common, so bring insect repellent.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Lake Matheson
- Minnehaha Walk
- Fox Glacier / Te Moeka o Tuawe
- Alex Knob Track
- Peters Pool
- Franz Josef Glacier / Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere
- Roberts Point Track
- West Coast Wildlife Centre