Gillespies Beach is a black-sand and quartz-pebble beach reached by an unsealed road west of Fox Glacier. The approach runs through rimu rainforest before opening suddenly onto the Tasman Sea, with old gold-mining remains near the beach entrance.
It is best as a half-day outing rather than a quick photo stop. Walk north along the beach toward Galway Beach for the seal colony, and bring insect repellent; the sandflies are as memorable as the scenery.