{{Short description|Island group in New Zealand}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox landform | water = | name = Archway Islands | other_name = | type = islands | image = Wharariki Beach (212987255).jpeg | image_size = | alt = | caption = two of the Archway Islands | pushpin_map = New Zealand | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_label = | pushpin_label_position = left | location = [[Tasman District]], New Zealand | coordinates = {{Coord|40.499|S|172.676|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | water_bodies = [[Tasman Sea]] | length = | width = }} The '''Archway Islands''' are a group of four rock stacks or small islands in New Zealand. The islands are located in [[Tasman District]]'s [[Golden Bay / Mohua]] at [[Wharariki Beach]].
==Geography and name== The Archway Islands are located just west of the northernmost point of the [[South Island]], [[Cape Farewell, New Zealand|Cape Farewell]], and at the end of Wharariki Road. West of here, there are only walking tracks along the coast.<ref>{{cite web |title=Untitled |url=https://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap/nz44622/Archway-Islands/Tasman |publisher=Topomap |access-date=2 October 2024}}</ref> It takes 20 minutes one way to walk from the car park at the end of Wharariki Road to Wharariki Beach.<ref>{{cite web |title=Farewell Spit and Pūponga Farm Park tracks |url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/nelson-tasman/places/farewell-spit-and-puponga-farm-park/things-to-do/tracks/farewell-spit-and-puponga-farm-park-tracks/ |publisher=[[Department of Conservation (New Zealand)|Department of Conservation]] |access-date=2 October 2024}}</ref> The Wharariki car park can be reached from [[Collingwood, New Zealand|Collingwood]] via [[Pūponga]], where the road turns and becomes Wharariki Road.<ref name="world famous" />
The name Archway Islands was formalised and gazetted on 14 November 2013, when the [[New Zealand Geographic Board]] made 133 place names official.<ref>{{cite web |title=Notice of Approved Official Geographic Names |url= https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2013-ln7111 |publisher=[[New Zealand Geographic Board]] |access-date=2 October 2024}}</ref>
The four islands are small, with even the largest one of them measuring only about {{convert|300|by|200|m}}.<ref name="Archway">{{cite web|title=Archway Islands, Tasman – NZ Topo Map|url= http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap/nz44622/Archway-Islands/Tasman|website=NZ Topo Map|publisher=[[Land Information New Zealand]]|accessdate=14 December 2015}}</ref>
The largest of the islands is closest to the mainland and adjoins Wharariki Beach; it is generally not cut off by the sea. The second island lies about {{convert|150|m}} offshore and is relatively flat and vegetated. The remaining two islands are typical rock stacks, with the larger one {{convert|66|m}} tall and containing two natural rock arches, giving rise to the naming of the group of islands.<ref name="Archway"/>
==Microsoft lock screen== The islands came to international prominence in mid-2015 when [[Microsoft]] released the [[Windows 10]] operating system, which included a photo of the islands as one of the [[lock screen]] images. When [[Tasman District Council]] rolled out Windows 10, council staff thought that their IT department had installed a photo of the Archway Islands as a lock screen. It was only after some time that they realised that instead, Microsoft had chosen the image.<ref name="world famous">{{cite news |last1=Clark |first1=Poppy |title=The NZ beach you never realised was world famous |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/nelson-top-stories/132141929/the-nz-beach-you-never-realised-was-world-famous |access-date=2 October 2024 |work=[[The Nelson Mail]] |date=11 June 2023}}</ref>
==Attractions== The adjacent beach is popular for its colony of [[fur seal]] pups; during low tide, people have access to the pools where pups play in front of the easternmost of the Archway Islands.<ref name="world famous" />
==References== {{commons category|Archway Islands}} {{reflist}}
{{Tasman District}}
[[Category:Islands of the Tasman District]] [[Category:Golden Bay]] [[Category:Windows 10]]