Tunnel Beach Walk — Attraction in South Island

This is an iconic view and one of the South Island’s most photographed spots for good reason — it is beautiful!

We got to the parking area at 9:45 on a Sunday morning, hoping it would be early enough to beat the tourist rush, but we got the last parking spot and felt lucky we did! There is some construction happening near the top of the trail, but the path to Tunnel Beach is clearly signed. The other reviews are accurate in saying the walk is very steep, so take care going down and plan to take your time coming back up.

Views of the amazing rock formations come into range within the first few minutes and only become more amazing as you get closer.

At the bottom of the trail is a hole in the rock where a tunnel with steps has been hewn leading down to the rocks and tiny sand beach. Please be certain to check the tide tables. We were there 2 hours after low tide and there was almost no sand visible at all. We certainly could not walk under the archway of the rock. Don’t attempt to swim — ferocious waves, currents, and rocks could be deadly.

Many people stepped over the wooden railing to go out onto the rock outcrop. While the views are inspiring, please take extreme care: it is very windy and a misstep would be bad.

The walk back up was not as bad as we expected. We did stop for a few seconds to breathe a...

This is a very nice and scenic place just outside Dunedin, towards south. The access to the beach is via a private property, though it is easy. The walkway to the beach is downhill and can be slippery on a rainy day. The views from the top of the cliff are majestic and well enjoyed on a sunny day. The brown sandstone cliffs make it even more beautiful. Certainly there is a similarity between the Great Ocean Road in Melbourne and this place. Access to the beach is via a narrow downhill tunnel with narrow steps in it. Caution is required while climing down, due to dampness. The views and the rocky beach are worth the effort to climb down and come up. We also got to see a seal relaxing on the rocks, which was a big bonus. It did feel scary to go such close to it though. Highly recommended place to...

Long walk downhill with stunning scenic views of the cliffs and water. When you think you've reached the bottom, you head down into a tunnel and come out at the beach. Only one way in and out of the beach, so sometimes you'll have to wait for people to climb back up before you can get through. But it's a 100% worth the wait.

Frequented by sea lion. Please heed the advice of the boards and give them space. They're goofy, cute animals, but can be territorial. Lovely beach to sit and take pictures. Make sure you keep an eye out for the tide timings.

Take water with you. The climb back up is not for the...