The Waimea Inlet is a shallow tidal inlet at the northern edge of Richmond, opening into Tasman Bay. At low tide, the mudflats attract large numbers of wading birds — bar-tailed godwits, South Island pied oystercatchers, banded dotterels, and in summer, migratory waders from the Arctic. The inlet is one of the best birdwatching sites in the Nelson-Tasman region.
The boardwalk along the inlet's southern edge is an easy twenty-minute walk from central Richmond. The best birding is at mid-tide, when the retreating water concentrates the birds on the remaining mudflats. The inlet also has a small population of royal spoonbills and, occasionally, white herons. Bring binoculars; the birds are not always close to the path.