TIME VISITED: January 2016 BUSY ? On Weekends
WEATHER: 75 🌤 EXPENSIVE?: $
One of my favorite things about New Zealand is the amount of beauty you can see with hardly any effort. Don’t get me wrong the long and tiring hikes are incredible, but some days it’s nice to walk a short 20 minutes from the parking lot and arrive somewhere like Tunnel Beach. This beach has been named one of the most romantic spots in New Zealand and for good reason! I believe this is a place you can’t miss when visiting the South Island. I was working about 2 hours away and took a day trip here to see the beautiful beach, sandstone boulders and fossil filled cliffs. 
The path down to Tunnel Beach is through private farms so please keep in mind this track is closed for lambing season August 1st to the beginning of November.
This cliff reminds me of Pride Rock from The Lion King!
Not only is this beach and coast stunning there is also a lot of history here. There are many legends but the most common one I heard and read was about the Cargill family who lived in a castle on the coast. In 1870 John Cargill excavated a narrow tunnel down to a secluded beach, so his family could bathe privately.
The views from the patg are beautiful but if you walk just a few more minutes you can walk down the stairs to the secluded beach. Please note to visit at low tide!
The stairs are a bit slippery so be careful on your way down.
I thought it would be super busy because we came on a weekend but there were just a few of us down there.
Giant sandstone boulders!
Ummmm can someone please build me a tunnel down to a private beach!?
Remember the picture that looked like pride rock? Well you can walk on it and get a whole new view of the cliffs and beach.
I recommend bringing a picnic with you and spending as much time here as possible, just sitting there by myself and looking out over the Pacific Ocean was incredible. Also if you’re traveling with your partner this is an awesome place for an afternoon date-there is definitely a romantic feel here!
After visiting Tunnel Beach head into Dunedin and try some of my favorite Chinese food at The Asian Restaurant. It’s located in a really cool old red building. They served Duck Fried Rice and I am still drooling over it two years later.
Have you been to Dunedin? Did you make your way to Tunnel Beach? What legends did you hear? Please tell me you tried the duck fried rice!? Comment below!
Read more posts about must-do’s in New Zealand HERE!
