Kaitorete Spit | |
|---|---|
 Kaitorete Spit separating Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora from the Canterbury Bight | |
 | |
| Offshore water bodies | Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora |
| Age | 6,000–8,000 years |
| Formed by | gravel outwash |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 27 km |
| • Width | from 200 m to 3.2 km |
| Highest elevation | 20 m |
Kaitorete Spit is a long finger of land which extends along the coast of Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand. It runs west from Banks Peninsula for 25 kilometres, and separates the shallow Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora from the Pacific Ocean. It is technically a continuous barrier beach, though at its western end it tapers to a point less than 100 metres in width which is occasionally breached at high tide. The spit is noted for its isolation and for its pebbly beaches. At its eastern end is the small settlement of Birdlings Flat, and west of its narrowest point is the settlement of Taumutu.