The tunnel
Hand-cut.
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Tunnel Beach is a small cove south-west of Dunedin in New Zealand's South Island, ringed by sandstone cliffs that the sea has carved into arches and caves. It is known for a hand-cut tunnel through the rock that leads from the clifftop down to the beach. The local politician John Cargill had the tunnel dug in the 1870s so his family could reach the beach, and the marks of the hand tools still show on its walls. Concrete steps were added when it opened to the public in 1983. The beach was closed after a flood in October 2024 until November 2025. From the top of the track you see pale yellow cliffs dropping to the sea and a huge rock arch reaching into the water where white waves break. Below is a small sandy cove walled by rock, with turquoise water, and green grass covers the clifftops. It is about 6.5 km from central Dunedin in a straight line. The track drops from 150 metres, so the climb back is tiring. Avoid the beach at high tide.
Hand-cut.
In the sea.
Sand and turquoise water.
South-west of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
John Cargill, in the 1870s, for his family.
Going down is easy, but the climb back up 150 metres is tiring.