Gillespies Point (Māori: Kōhaihai; officially Gillespies Point / Kōhaihai) is a small headland on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island, in the Westland District. It marks the north-eastern end of Gillespies Beach and the western end of Waikowhai Bluff, as well as the mouth of Waikowhai Stream.
Geography
Gillespies Point is located approximately 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from the town of Fox Glacier. The point is the westernmost portion of moraine deposits extending from Cook Saddle, some 18 kilometres (11 mi) inland, deposited by glaciers during earlier ice ages. Upon reaching the shore, erosion of this moraine has formed a line of coastal cliffs stretching as far as the Waikūkūpa River, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to the northeast. The point has an elevation of approximately 21 metres (69 ft). Immediately to the south is the mouth of Waikowhai Stream, which separates the point from Gillespies Beach. This stream and its tributaries drain a large area of wetlands behind Gillespies Beach, which are ecologically significant and form part of Westland Tai Poutini National Park.
History and Name
The headland was first known to local Māori as Kōhaihai (recorded in some early sources as Kaohaihi), although the origins of this name are not known. Following Pākehā settlement, the headland was renamed Gillespies Point after James Edwin Gillespie, who discovered gold on the beach in 1866 during the West Coast gold rush. At the time, the track to the region closely followed the coast, with bluffs and headlands such as Gillespies Point acting as significant obstacles that made the journey tide-dependent. To enable consistent access, miners cut a tunnel through Gillespies Point, which has since been closed due to erosion at the seaward end.
In 1998, Gillespies Point became one of nearly 100 places to be given an official dual place name through the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998, a landmark Treaty of Waitangi settlement between Ngāi Tahu and the New Zealand government, recognising the shared significance of the point to both Pākehā and Māori.
Ecology
Despite not being included within the boundaries of Westland Tai Poutini National Park, Gillespies Point has been recognised as an area of high conservation value. The point serves as a small haul-out site for New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri), with 35 seals counted during one survey. Although relatively small, this haul-out is considered significant due to its relative lack of human disturbance.
The forests of Gillespies Point consist mostly of young hardwood trees with some more mature specimens, including kahikatea, rimu, and miro. Erosion of the coastline and salt spray from the nearby ocean pose ongoing threats to this forest.
Geology
The point is formed from glacial moraine, primarily composed of greywacke, and has been shaped by glaciation and coastal erosion.
