Hello and welcome! I'm an over fifty menopausal woman with a reasonable fitness level. I wouldn't say I'm unfit but I'm also not going to run any marathons anytime soon! I have short skinny legs so I figure this means I have to take more steps than a long legged person haha. But I'm very grateful for my little legs as they have taken me on a lot of hiking and photography adventures. So basically what I'm saying is, if I can do it then so can you :)
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Tunnel Beach Walk, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand
As we were going to be in town for the weekend anyway (to see our friend Lisa Lottie perform as part of the comedy circus show Werk It during the Dunedin Arts Festival), we thought why not do a little hike on Sunday morning before we drove back home.
We woke up to a beautiful clear blue sky day which was just perfect for a hike. Luckily we turned off the motorway at the right place but if it wasn’t for Google Maps, it would have been quite hard to find the start of the Tunnel Beach Walk. There weren’t any signposts that I can recall but maybe that’s a good thing. Let’s keep all the good spots a secret from the tourists haha.
Parking wasn’t great so I’m glad we decided to go early(ish) to secure a parking spot and beat the crowds. Plus it was low tide and I had read that it was the best time to go.
At the start of the track the DOC sign stated that the track crossed through private land so to please stay on the marked route. There was also a big sign warning of high cliffs presenting a significant fall hazard. I saw a number of warning signs along the way so please keep an eye on your little children if you plan to walk this track!
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The track was a well maintained, smooth path and wide enough for two people to walk together. Although it zigzagged down the hill, it was very STEEP. I had to be careful not to slip on any loose rocks going down and I could imagine the track could be a bit slippery when wet.
It wasn't far down the track before the famous sea arch came into view. This massive rock formation is a natural wonder, formed by the forces of waves and erosion.
The bottom of the zigzag track panned out to a wide flat area. There was a seat to sit and take in the views. And a small wooden fence around the edges to deter people from getting too close to the cliff edges. It's not advisable to walk out on top of the arch, not even for that perfect Instagram shot. Just don't do it ok?
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(So if you just wanted a shot of this picture then stop here and it saves you the walk back up from the bottom. BUT read on and you'll see that it's worth doing the whole track!)
The beautiful coastal views were a nice distraction as I trudged down, stopping for photos along the way. By a distraction, I mean that I wasn’t thinking about what it was going to be like trudging back UP the track haha.
The towering sandstone cliffs were very impressive and made me feel quite small. And made me feel in awe of nature and the impact of the sea on our coastlines.
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To the left of the arch was the track which lead us to the hand carved tunnel. This tunnel was created by the Cargill family in the 1870s and went down to a private beach. It was supposedly created so that they could have a private area to bathe.
In the 1980s the track was opened to the public and steps were installed in the tunnel to make it safer as it was so steep.
A warning sign stated that it could be slippery from this point. And that the beach could be dangerous during high tide. It is definitely NOT suitable for swimming as the rips were very dangerous.
The narrow tunnel was dark and eerie. The steps going down were steep and have been known to be slippery so we carefully made our way down.
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The tunnel was so narrow that it was single file only. And at the bottom was a small platform where people could wait to go back up.
From the platform there were some wider stone steps down (also known to be slippery so I was being very careful). Then we had to clamber over some big rocks before stepping down onto the sand. Then we walked through a small alleyway between rock faces and emerged onto a pretty little beach!
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We had timed it perfectly with the low tide and it wasn't very busy.
Just perfect for photos and exploring.
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| I loved the reflection of the massive sandstone cliff in the wet sand. |
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There were cute little caves though I wasn’t brave enough to go into them.
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Eventually it got busy with more people arriving onto the beach so we made our way back up through the tunnel. This time at the top I took a bit more time to take in the scenery and take some more photos. (I was just prolonging the inevitable of the hike back UP haha)
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Then reluctantly I was persuaded to start the trek back UP the zigzag track. Did I say how STEEP it was? Luckily there were a few bench seats along the track for a rest.
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The photos don't really show the steepness! I love how it looks like the sea meets the sky in the horizon.
I made my way slowly and steadily up the track and even surprised myself with my level of fitness. There's still life in this old bird yet haha.
Just before the car park, I stopped and chatted to a young guy from the North Island. He was trying to decide if the climb was worth it and I assured him it was!
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| Such a stunning day. |
I highly recommend walking the Tunnel Beach Track. My little legs were a bit sore the next day but I didn't mind that as it always gives me a feeling of achievement. It was well worth it!
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My top tips for the Tunnel Beach Walk
- Check the times of the tide and plan to go at low tide
- Use Google Maps for directions on how to get there
- Check the sun location if you want a nice reflection of the cliff in the wet sand
- Track can be slippery so please wear appropriate footwear
- Parking is minimal so the earlier you go the more chance of getting a park NB according to the DOC website as at 28 June 2023 there is construction work taking place near the car park area.
~ PLEASE NOTE: We completed this walk in October 2022 and there may be some changes to the track and surrounding areas to how I have described it here.
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Thank you for taking the time to read about this hike. Check out my other blog posts HERE. I'd love you to share this post and if you use my photos, all I ask is that you credit me please :)
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