A road trip to Tunnel Beach in the Southern island of New Zealand – by Anabel Newell
While visiting the southern island of New Zealand, we made our way to the city of Dunedin. It was a 4 hour drive from the main city of Queenstown. The drive was highly recommended as it contains beautiful and impressive scenery. Upon arriving to Dunedin we were excited to visit Tunnel Beach. As you park your car, you cross over a fence that leads you on the trail. It’s a downhill 30 min hike but it took us an hour from stopping often to take pictures. Our kids handled it perfectly but it was certainly helpful to be going down the slope as opposed to up, hehe! The coastal views from the trail make this hike extremely interesting and exciting. Once we reached the edge of the cliff we found the carved tunnel that leads to the actual beach. The water can only be accessed through the tunnel hence the name of the beach.
As we made our way down we were greeted with postcard images all around. The ocean, the cliffs, the rock formations, the caves, the sand, the sounds… Simply amazing. We were lucky enough to be the only ones there so that might have added to the thrill. I must add that this beach is not for swimming. Although the water seemed inviting and calm there are lots of underwater currents making it dangerous for swimming.
After we explored and enjoyed the peace and serenity oozing from every corner, we made our way back up the cliff. It’s not always as easy and fun going against gravity but with a slower pace we finally made it up. Our kiddos were a lot more resilient than us as they ran part of the way up – I was quite impressed. I would recommend bringing water and snacks, especially if you travel in the heat of the summer. After a quick meal at a local restaurant nearby to recuperate our energy, we made our way to our hotel the Roslyn Apartments. We picked this quaint local place which certainly resembled a small apartment complex than a standard hotel (hence the name). We reserved an apartment which included two bedrooms, a full kitchen, dining and living spaces as well as an outdoor deck with views of the city.
I still find myself day dreaming of our time at Dunedin. Tunnel Beach Is a true gem full of jaw dropping views and awe – a must see if you are ever in the area. Our kids loved it and so did we, a win-win for the whole family.
Beautiful views of Queenstown’s rolling hills
Views on the drive from Queenstown
View as we were approaching Dunedin
Time to go back uphill…
Roslyn Apartments at Dunedin.
Do you find yourself day dreaming of Dunedin and the awesome views of Tunnel Beach yet?
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beautiful photos! #outside suburbia
Thanks for adding this excursion to our bucket list. New Zealand was already on it.
I hope the information was helpful, it felt great to cross it off our bucket list as well. Thank you 🙂
How stunningly beautiful! And it looks like you had a great time!
We had a blast, it was hard not to with the amazing scenery and views. Thank you so much 🙂
Dunedin looks gorgeous – Tunnel Beach actually looks a lot like the Bay of Fundy here in Canada with those dramatic rock formations.
Oh that’s good to know I will have to look into that, thank you for the tip 🙂
What a beautiful writeup and gorgeous pictures by Anabel. As if New Zealand hadn’t been on my Bucket List way too long already. Looks like a great family travel destination!
Yes it was a fabulous vacation spot I would highly recommend. Many thanks!