Tunnel Beach

Tunnel Beach is a spectacular sight, a combined natural and man-made wonder just ten minutes’ drive from the centre of town. A dramatic sandstone sea arch juts out into the Pacific Ocean, but it’s for the hand-carved tunnel and staircase leading down to a secluded beach that it’s named.

The tunnel was man-made and believed to have been commissioned by John Cargill, a member of the prominent settler family that lived nearby, reputedly so his daughters would have a private spot to bathe. However, as a tidal beach that's also prone to rogue waves, this is not a beach where swimming is recommended.