A walking and mountain biking track to Pillar Point Lighthouse, at Puponga in Golden Bay, near Farewell Spit. The track is about 3 km return, and it takes around an hour and a half return. It is free and is rated an easy walk.
The lighthouse tower is a cylindrical steel tower built in 1930, nicknamed Blinking Billy. A radar station was built here during the Second World War. The route runs over a late Cretaceous sandstone coast, where the wind has carved the cliffs.
From the top there are views out to Farewell Spit, with Pillar Point on one side and Cape Farewell on the other. The rough old four-wheel-drive track climbs through scrub, and it joins the Hilltop Walk, which runs north towards Farewell Spit and south to Wharariki.
To get there, turn into Wharariki Road from Puponga and drive 4.5 km to the small parking area at the start of the track. Large vehicles such as motorhomes and caravans cannot reach the site. The website says the track has no disabled access.
The lighthouse is near Puponga, Golden Bay. Our pick in Golden Bay for a short walk with a view and a bit of history.