Tues, 10th Mar, 2026 (p1) Town Oval carpark free camp, Dunedin to Owaka Tavern free camp Owaka, NZ (Otago Peninsula & Tunnel Beach)

6am only 5 degrees - so glad we have a diesel heater.

Emma’s birthday today so sent off a message. Can’t text but Messenger works via our data.

Photo of our camp spot before we headed off. Didn’t see anyone around the tents.

Bright morning on the bay as we headed off. 

Diesel climbing now because of the Iran war problems. Up to 197.9c/l now.

Across a causeway to Otago Peninsula. View back to Dunedin town.

Right turn around the hill onto Highcliff Road - correct name for this road! Great view over Otago Harbour.

Another winding road upwards.

Another fabulous view from the Soldier Monument Lookout. It only has a small pull off area so we didn’t stop to do the climb to the monument itself.

Climbing up through sheep farms.

Across to the east coast - great view.

Passed farms with stone wall fences then view back to the Soldiers Monument.

Turned off towards Larnach Castle to try and have a look but there is a entrance gate - $48 each entry. The castle was the home of William Larnach and family. From 1871 200 men spent 3 years building the shell then it was another 12 years before the gifted European craftsmen finished the interior. In 1885 a 3,000 sq foot Ballroom was added. As I am going to be seeing lots of castle in UK and it isn’t something Steve wanted to see so we didn’t go in.

Turned around and continued on. The road to Portobello was closed so we’d have to take foreshore road which is just like what we did yesterday on the other side of the harbour. Decided not to so headed back along the east coast of the peninsula.

Down hill on a straight road aptly named as Centre Road. Along a ridge past the site of the 1^st cheese factory, according to the sign.

Top view from the ridge looking across to St Clair on the knobby point.

Above Tomahawk Beach we stopped to check out some bunkers - no nice murals here like on the ones at Godley Head.

Steve found a track through the bush to a view over Tomahawk Beach area. Watched some surfers having a good ride.

Continued past two small lakes - large cemetery with fabulous view of the ocean. Through lots of homes and farms. View across to some apartments against the bluff that we saw from the train yesterday.

Onto the flat through homes and beach front van parks to Marlow Park for a cuppa. They have a fantastic playground here.

Continued on to St Clair. Lots of cafes etc along the one way road on the foreshore. There is hot salt water pool here too - like the one we saw at New Brighton.

Up the hillside to the top through nice homes and then acreage blocks.

Turned left to head down to Tunnel Beach. We put our weather jackets on as it is windy and cool. One hour return walk. Onto the path which weaves its way back and forth on the hillside so it isn’t a steep climb down or up. That’s our destination.

Views as we travel down. Some people decided to take a short cut straight up!

There are tour groups to look at birds etc.

Nearly there - view of other side of the outcrop. I think it looks like a big snapper or dolphin fish - even Steve agreed with me.

Another view before we head down the steps.

Interesting rock - looks like it was neatly cut. Lots of kelp hanging around.

Great tunnel here too.

Down the steps to the historic tunnel.

Onto the rocky ‘beach’ with lots of big boulders. Names etched into the sandstone, some in the 1930s.

Waited for the waves so we could go around the rock to the ‘cave’. We didn’t want to take our boots off so just a quick look before the waves came back in.

Up the rocks to the rock shelf again and back up through the tunnel.

Back up the steps then the slow wander back up the pathway. Good to stop and enjoy the view as we went. Another ‘fish’ rock.

A very fit older lady ran up past us. I commented that she must run marathons as she was doing this slope easily. She stopped to have a chat while we puffed. No, she doesn’t do marathons, just loves running! She pointed out some pines on the clifftop back a bit. There was a castle named ‘The Cliffs’ there built by Edward Cargill in 1876. He is the 8^th child of Dunedin’s founder, William Cargill. It was a 21 room, Italianate-style concrete mansion. It was damaged by fire in 1892 and abandoned by the late 1970s. What a shame. Steps were carved into the sandstone cliff face and a tunnel dug so his daughter could get down to the beach to have a ‘private’ place for her swim. Only ruins remain of the castle but the Council is fixing up the steps for runners etc. The tunnel mentioned is what we just saw and was constructed by Edward’s brother, John Cargill.

Back to the camper where we stripped off our coats as we had warmed ourselves us with that walk back up the cliff side. Still a cool breeze blowing so it didn’t take too long to cool down again.