Image: Liam Genever | DOC
Aerial view of Tunnel beach.
Tunnel Beach Walk

Located in Dunedin area in the Otago region

Experience Otago’s spectacular rocky coastline on one of Dunedin’s best short walks. Enjoy the views from a viewing area or walk through the hand carved tunnel to a secluded beach.

Tunnel Beach Walk provides spectacular coastal views including a natural sandstone archway/land bridge alongside a headland covered in critically endangered native coastal turf.

The walk includes access through a historic 1870s hand-dug tunnel, for which the site is named, to a small but beautiful beach nestled among towering cliffs.

From the Tunnel Beach car park, follow the well-formed path downhill to several viewpoints known as “nests” for views up and down the coast.

Short option: Car park to Nest 1 viewpoint

Time: 10 min return

Distance: 600 m return

Follow the well-formed path to Nest 1 to get spectacular views of the headland and coastline.

Long option: Car park to tunnel and beach

Time: 1 hr return

Distance: 2.6 km return

Follow the well-formed path downhill through each of the five ‘nests’ to the spectacular rocky coastline. At the end of the formed gravel track, a short tunnel with steps leads down to a secluded beach.

The walk beyond Nest 1 is strenuous and steep. We recommend wearing sneakers with good grip.

Bikes are not permitted on this track. The track has a high volume of visitors, multiple switchbacks and is narrow in some places.

Protect the Critically Endangered coastal turf on the Headland

Coastal turf
Damage to the coastal turf from people walking on it | Image: Clement Lagrue ©

Stay on the formed gravel track and admire the headland from the viewpoints and beach.

The headland is home to coastal turf, the carpet of low growing plants behind the wooden barrier. These plants, only found in New Zealand, are incredibly rare and have adapted to surviving in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Walking on the headland destroys these plants and the soil they grow in.

Tunnel Beach is to the south of Dunedin. From Blackhead Road take the signposted turnoff to Tunnel Beach Road. At the end of Tunnel Beach Road, drive straight into the Tunnel Beach car park provided by the Dunedin City Council.

Do not park on the roadside. Parking on the yellow painted lines, in driveways and roadways is illegal.

The car park is open between:

  • 9 am – 5 pm in winter (April – August)
  • 8 am – 9 pm in summer (September – March)
  • Tunnel Beach Walk is still open outside of these hours, but there is no roadside parking.

Vehicles left in car park after closing times will be locked in.

Vehicles parking and blocking the private roads or driveways on Tunnel Beach Road may be towed at owner’s expense.

Don't leave valuables in your car – there have been break-ins.

What to expect

  • This is a steep track. Change in elevation is +/-111 m.
  • The path is gravel, walking shoes with good grip are recommended.

Facilities:

  • Car park.
  • Toilets are available in the car park.
  • Bike stands are available in the car park (no biking allowed on the track).

Hazards

Cliffs 

Stay on the formed gravel track and behind the barrier to avoid steep drops. The cliff edges can be slippery and unstable after rain. 

Swimming

This is not a swimming beach, the beach has strong currents and swimmers may get into difficulty. The beach is not monitored and cell phone reception is unreliable.

Beach access

The beach is tidal and prone to rogue waves. Check the tide forecast before visiting and time your walk on the beach around low tide.

Tsunami risk

The New Zealand coastline is at risk from tsunamis, including this track. If you feel a long or strong earthquake, see a sudden rise/fall in sea level, or hear loud/unusual noises from the sea, go to higher ground immediately.

Tunnel

The tunnel was hand carved into the limestone rock in the 1870’s, with steps added in 1983 when it was opened to the public. Take due care in the tunnel. The tunnel is dark, the ceiling is low and the steps can be slippery. There is no handrail in the tunnel as installation would damage the heritage fabric of the tunnel.

Sea lions and seals

Sea lions and seals use the beach to rest and can be hard to spot when they are not moving. Keep your distance and avoid interacting with them.

What to do if you see:

All drone use must be authorised by DOC

You must have a permit to fly a drone on public conservation land.

Visit our Drone use on conservation land page for more information.

Tunnel Beach headland - home to coastal turf

Coastal turf
Coastal turf | Image: Shay van der Hurk 

This headland is cloaked in coastal turf – a community of low-growing plants that has evolved to survive in one of the harshest environments on Earth.

Squeezed out by exotic weeds and trampled underfoot, this fragile ecosystem is now critically endangered – but with your help we can save it.

Although it looks like a uniform green carpet, coastal turf is a diverse mix of tightly interlaced herbs, grasses and sedges. A thin layer of life on rocky terrain, these plants cluster together and tough it out against continuous salty wind and spray.

These coastal turfs are incredibly rare in Aotearoa, covering an estimated total surface area of around 40 hectares – that’s just 50 rugby pitches. As an ecosystem, coastal turfs have a threat classification of Threatened – Nationally Critical, the highest possible threat ranking.

Tunnel Beach’s turf

The main plants in the mix are:

  • selliera/remuremu (Selliera radicans)
  • shore cotula (Leptinella dioica)
  • sea primrose/mākoako (Samolus repens)
  • slender clubrush (Isolepis cernua)
  • glasswort (Salicornia quinqueflora)
  • native celery (Apium prostratum).

Rarer species:

  • Buchanan’s orache (Atriplex buchananii)
  • Gentian (Gentianella saxosa) recognisable by its pretty white flowers in summer

This micro-sized habitat also supports a variety of invertebrates including beetles and species of moth that have evolved to jump because it’s too windy to fly.

Threatening behaviour

Visitors to the Tunnel Beach headland have had a dramatic effect. Repeated trampling kills the coastal turf plants and creates patches of barren soil that encourage erosion. The coastal turf loses the thin soil layer it needs to survive, also giving invasive weeds a chance to move in.

Do not disturb

Help us by keeping to the paths and admiring this special place from behind the barriers.

Wildlife

Pakake/New Zealand sea lion often frequent the beach.  

What to do if you see them or other wildlife:

  • do not disturb - stay at least 10 m away from them
  • be prepared to move away calmly if approached.

The tunnel was built in the 1870s at the request of John Cargill. Originally a simple slope, concrete steps were added when it was opened to the public in 1983.

The local legend is that John Cargill built the tunnel to provide access to the beach for his daughters and that one of the daughters drowned. While the story of the daughter drowning has never been verified, it does provide a warning to visitors that the beach is unpredictable and should be respected.