For centuries the Southern Ocean and its salt-laden wind have sculpted the sandstone coastline south of Dunedin. The outcome is a line of magnificent high cliffs, arches and headlands that provide endless vantage points for breathtaking views.

Follow the fenced track downhill to the spectacular, rocky coastline. At the end of the track you will find the handcarved rock tunnel that gives Tunnel Beach it's name. Built in the 1870s, the passage allows access to a secluded and sheltered beach at the base of the cliffs.

Be sure to examine the rock along the way, where you may discover shell fragments and possibly a fossil, such as a brachiopod shell or echinoderm (sea urchin), or even bones of an extinct whale.

Above, tenacious plant species, such as spleenwort, happily exist in the absence of soil.