Last updated November 2026
The Tuaheni Point walk (Te Kūrae o Tuaheni) explores the headland at the southern end of Wainui Beach, about 6 km from Gisborne, with two lighthouses to find. Tapuwae Tairāwhiti Trails lists it at 8 km and about 3 hours, over coastal sand and rocks and hilly ground on the headland.
A low-tide beach walk from Lloyd George Road reaches the historic lighthouse on the shore, and a farm walk climbs the headland to the modern navigational light on its high point.
The ridge route out to the very end of the point can no longer be walked, because the sea has eroded the track from below. There are no dogs and no cycling on this trail.
Practical Information
- Start
- Lloyd George Road, at the southern end of Wainui Beach
- Distance from the city
- About 6 km from Gisborne
- Track length
- 8 km for the beach and headland walks combined
- Walking time
- About 3 hours in all: 1.5 to 2 hours for the beach walk, about 2 hours for the headland loop
- Terrain
- Coastal sand and rocks, hilly over the headland
- Tides
- Finish the beach walk within two hours either side of low tide
- Dogs
- No dogs
- Bikes
- No cycling
- Access
- Beach and rocky shore; the headland by the right of way of properties 32 to 36, past the houses, then a farm track through a gate with a QEII National Trust sign
- Status
- Check the Tapuwae Tairāwhiti Trails trail alerts page before you go.
About Tuaheni Point Walk
Tuaheni Point is the headland at the northern end of Poverty Bay: the bay’s official boundary on its seaward side runs from Tuaheni Point to Young Nicks Head. Tapuwae Tairāwhiti Trails, the regional trails network linked from Gisborne District Council’s walkways page, describes two ways to explore it and suggests combining them for the contrast between shoreline and hilltop.
The beach walk is the simpler of the two. From Lloyd George Road you walk along the beach and rocky shore to the historic lighthouse on the point, a trip of about 3 km there and back.
The trail page suggests allowing 1.5 to 2 hours and planning the walk so you complete it within two hours either side of low tide.
The headland walk is a climb on farm tracks with wide views. From the top you look out over Tūranganui a Kiwa to Te Kurī a Pāoa, the headland that faces Tuaheni Point across the bay. The loop takes about two hours, and the trail page suggests a picnic on top on a good day.
One part of the old route has gone for good. The trail page explains that it is no longer possible to walk out to the end of Tuaheni Point along the ridge, because the track has fallen away, eroded from below by the sea. The headland loop now turns back before the tip.
The Headland Loop Step by Step
From Lloyd George Road, walk up the right of way that serves the properties numbered 32 to 36, past the houses, and go through the gate on the right that carries a QEII National Trust sign. This is the access to the headland, so keep to the farm track and the route described and leave the homes and farmland alongside undisturbed.
The farm track becomes a steep gravel drive leading up to the cell phone towers. From there another farm track carries on to a pond fringed with native trees and harakeke (flax). If you have the energy, walk up to the trig and back. Then go around the pond and follow the ridge up to the modern navigational light.
From the light, a rough farm track drops steeply towards the end of the headland. Follow it along the edge of the fenced QEII covenant of planted coastal bush to complete the loop, which rejoins the steep gravel drive and takes you back down to Lloyd George Road.
Two Lighthouses
The historic lighthouse on the shore was built in 1911. Its metal tower and gas-powered lantern, which sit on a concrete pedestal, were salvaged from an earlier lighthouse that had to be moved in a hurry when a landslip threatened it.
Changing its acetylene gas tanks needed a calm day, because the light was reached by sea. Standing 55 feet above the water, the light could be seen from 15 miles out to sea. It was decommissioned in 1955.
Today the Tuaheni Point Light sits on the high point of the headland. It is light no. 3954 in the Toitū te Whenua list of maritime lights, stands 4 m high, shows a long white flash and runs on a solar panel.
Wāhi Tapu and Bush Restoration
Tapuwae Tairāwhiti Trails describes Tuaheni Point, Te Tuahenitanga a Pāoa, the resting place of kings, as sacred ancestral Māori land with numerous wāhi tapu. For centuries the headland has been the final resting place for esteemed rangatira, because from here they can face their ancestral homeland, Hawaiki. Walk with respect for this place and keep to the route.
Restoration projects on QEII National Trust covenants over the past 15 to 20 years have enhanced the headland’s natural character. Three neighbouring QEII National Trust covenants cover 34 ha, wrapping around the coast from Shark Bay to Sponge Bay.
Coastal herbfield and shrubland grow on the cliffs and terraces, with tauhinu shrubland on the slopes and wharariki flaxland on the cliffs.
Bush restoration started by the Tuaheni Point Charitable Trust in 2003 has produced well-established bush and shrubland, and QEII National Trust, Project Crimson, Forest and Bird, the Ministry for Primary Industries, Gisborne District Council and volunteers have planted more than 7,500 seedlings on the headland.
Where to Learn More
Tapuwae Tairāwhiti Trails: Tuaheni Point, lighthouses old and new: route notes for the beach and headland walks, tide advice and the history of the lighthouses.
Tapuwae Tairāwhiti Trails: Trail alerts: closures and hazards on Tairāwhiti trails, to check before you go.
Gisborne District Council: Walkways and cycleways: the council’s overview of walking and cycling in the district, with a link to the regional trails network.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Tuaheni Point walk?
Tapuwae Tairāwhiti Trails gives 8 km and about 3 hours for the beach and headland walks together. The beach walk alone is about 3 km there and back.
Where does the walk start?
At Lloyd George Road, at the southern end of Wainui Beach.
When should I do the beach walk?
Plan to complete it within two hours either side of low tide, and allow 1.5 to 2 hours.
Can I walk to the end of Tuaheni Point?
Not along the ridge. The track has fallen away, eroded from below by the sea, so the headland loop turns back along the fenced covenant instead.
Can I take my dog or bike?
No. There are no dogs and no cycling on this trail.
How hard is the headland walk?
It is hilly, with a steep gravel drive on the way up and a rough, steep farm track on the way down. Allow about two hours for the loop.
How do I get onto the headland?
Walk up the right of way of the properties numbered 32 to 36, past the houses, then follow the farm track through the gate with a QEII National Trust sign. Keep to the route.
Is the walk open?
Check the Tapuwae Tairāwhiti Trails trail alerts page before you go.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.