Monkey Island (Te Puka-o-Takitimu)
Te Puka-o-Takitimu
A small island off the beach in Te Waewae Bay that you can walk to at low tide. It offers sunset views over the bay, and there is a free campsite nearby.
Monkey Island is known in Māori as Te Puka-o-Takitimu, meaning "the anchor of the Takitimu canoe," and legend says it was where an ancestral canoe was moored. It lies very close to the beach, and at low tide you can walk across to the island. There's a small trail and a viewing platform on the island, with views across the whole of Te Waewae Bay and the mountains of Fiordland National Park beyond. Hector's dolphins are often seen here. A free campervan site beside the beach makes it a popular sunset spot on the Southern Scenic Route. Check tide times before you go, as the island is cut off at high tide.
Opening hours
All day (tide-dependent)
Nearby sights
- Gemstone Beach
- Colac Bay
- Riverton (Aparima)
- Oreti Beach
- Sandy Point Domain
- E Hayes & Sons (World's Fastest Indian)
- Classic Motorcycle Mecca
- St Mary's Basilica