Cathedral Cove Walk
Track category
Walking track
Time:
1 hr 30 min return
Distance:
2.5 km
Description
Cathedral Cove
This recreation reserve, gifted to the nation in the 1980s by Vaughan and Doreen Harsant, boasts some of New Zealand's most spectacular coastal scenery. A walking track gives access to Gemstone Bay, Stingray Bay and the beautiful sandy beaches at Cathedral Cove separated by a rock arch. Although this track is well graded, there are some hill slopes so allow plenty of time for the walk, wear appropriate footwear, and take food and water with you.
The track drops steadily from the car park into a valley where a side loop track takes you through a puriri grove and then back onto the main track. Alternatively, you can take a side track down to Gemstone Bay which has a bouldery beach and snorkel trail or, a little further on, another side track to Stingray Bay.
Stingray Bay has some large boulders with a beautiful sandy beach beyond. Special features are a sea cave and honeycomb weathering on the cliff face across the bay. Please note the north-western end of the beach at Stingray Bay is closed due to the danger of falling rocks and debris from the cliffs above. Visitors are advised not to use this end of the beach or adjacent waters. Signs and markers are in place to identify and warn people of the danger area.
Back on the main track, you climb out of the valley up to a high point overlooking the coastline. Stop, catch your breath and admire the view of the offshore islands. The track then crosses pasture and scrubland before entering pine forest with a good understorey of native shrubs. From here, it is all downhill to Cathedral Cove and even though this means there is a climb back off the beach for the return journey, it is well worth it to experience the beauty of the place.
Please take care when walking through the arch separating the two beaches at Cathedral Cove. Rockfall hazards exist in and around the arch and could occur at any time due to ongoing natural weathering and erosion. A management regime is in place to monitor the condition of the arch to make it as safe as possible.
There is a walking track from the western end of Hahei beach up to Cathedral Cove car park to connect with the track to Cathedral Cove. Allow an extra 20 - 30 minutes for this walk.
Getting there
At the end of Grange Road at Hahei on the Coromandel Peninsula. Turn left just past the Hahei shops (signposted to Cathedral Cove).
Plan and prepare
Before you go into the outdoors, tell someone your plans and leave a date to raise the alarm if you haven't returned. To do this, use the New Zealand Outdoors Intentions process on the AdventureSmart website. It is endorsed by New Zealand's search and rescue agencies and provides three simple options to tell someone you trust the details about your trip.
Guides and commercial tourism providers