Earthsea Gallery

Farewell Spit, New Zealand’s longest sandspit, curves around Golden Bay to create a wading bird sanctuary of international significance. The spit is formed entirely from sand, derived from the erosion of granites, schists and other rocks on the West Coast, which is transported northwards by coastal drift. Because Farewell Spit is a Nature Reserve, access is restricted. The public is free to walk at the base of the Spit, but access beyond here is limited to scientific groups and 4WD bus trips to the lighthouse. I am intrigued by this dramatic landscape of shifting sand, wild coastal weather and migrating wildlife. ‘Shifting Sands, Farewell Spit’ depicts the dynamic landscape of shifting sanddunes and marram grass.