Distance: 15.1 km return | Time: 4-5 hours | Difficulty: Medium to Hard
Dogs: Not permitted | Mobile Coverage: Yes | Toilets: None
One of Taranaki’s most dramatic coastal walks. The White Cliffs track takes you along a working sheep and beef farm, down to a secluded black sand beach, through a tunnel carved into the cliff face, and up along a ridge with spectacular views of 245-metre high sandstone cliffs.
This isn’t your typical coastal walk. You get the lot here: towering white sandstone cliffs that date back 10 million years, a black sand beach you access through a natural tunnel, a valley thick with nikau palms, and views across farmland to Mount Messenger. The rock formations are incredible, and if you’re into fossils, you’ll find plenty around the base of the cliffs.
The walk crosses private farmland, so you’ll need to open and close gates. The track follows a natural gas pipeline for part of the route, making it wide and easy to follow, though it can get muddy in spots.
From New Plymouth, drive north on State Highway 3 towards Hamilton for 68 km until you reach Tongaporutu. Just before you cross the Tongaporutu River bridge, turn left onto Clifton Road and follow it to the end. You’ll pass through one gate (close it behind you). The second gate is locked, this is where you park.
Important: Be careful parking near the cliff edge, there are no guard rails.
GPS Coordinates (Car Park): 38°50’16.7″S, 174°34’18.4″E
Distance: 4.2 km | Time: 1 hour
From the locked gate, follow the track towards the coast. About 10 minutes before the tunnel, you’ll reach a beautiful private beach. Keep going, passing a road that heads uphill on your left.
At the Y junction ahead, go right. The left track is your return route. Head up a slight incline towards the tunnel entrance.
The tunnel looks intimidating but it’s not as bad as it appears. It drops down quickly at the start and can be slippery when wet, so watch your footing. If the tide’s low enough, you can exit the tunnel onto the beach and explore the next bay, but don’t go further, it gets dangerous.
GPS (Tunnel): 38°51’51.0″S, 174°33’07.8″E
Distance: 2.1 km | Time: 1 hour
The first 20 minutes involves walking over sandstone rocks before you hit the black sand. This is where you really appreciate the scale of those white cliffs towering above you.
Head towards the Waipingau Stream at the end of the beach. The valley here is packed with nikau palms, a real change from typical native bush walks.
GPS (Stream): 38°52’39.9″S, 174°32’10.2″E
Distance: 920 metres | Time: 20 minutes
Cross to the right side of the creek and follow the sandy track up to the next level. From here the track is wide, grassy, and easy to follow, though one section can get muddy.
At the intersection, turn left. Right takes you over the ridge to the northern end of the track, straight ahead leads to the main gas pipeline (overgrown, don’t bother). You’ll see the swing bridge and signpost from the intersection.
GPS (Swing Bridge): 38°52’52.2″S, 174°32’40.6″E
Distance: 2.4 km | Time: 1 hour
Now it’s all uphill. Follow the track to the right, climbing 220 metres to the top. Most of the track is grassy with wooden steps on the steeper sections.
Keep looking left as you climb to see where you walked up the creek. The best views and photo opportunities are at the top, don’t miss them. You should be able to see your car from here.
Looking right, you’ll see Mount Messenger at 310 metres. That’s where SH3 runs through a tunnel (the one you drove through on the way here). It’s 4.4 km away.
GPS (Ridge Top): 38°52’18.4″S, 174°33’05.9″E
Distance: 1.2 km | Time: 1 hour (downhill)
This is the good bit, downhill all the way. Just below the top, there’s a track to the right that heads out to Mount Messenger and the main road (ignore it).
Near the bottom you’ll jump a wooden fence, then open a steel gate (no latch, just lift it). Then you’re back at your favourite beach.
Distance: 4.2 km | Time: 1 hour
Retrace your steps along the beach and back to the car park. The beach has plenty of driftwood if you want to stop for a fire and a cuppa. Good spot for a foot soak in the ocean too after that climb.
Tides: Check tide times before you go. Some beach sections are only passable at low tide. The tunnel exit and beach walking require low tide.
Track Conditions:
What to Bring:
Safety Notes:
Facilities: None. No shops, no toilets. Come prepared.
Dogs: Not permitted.
Cell Phone Coverage: Yes, coverage available.
Best Time: Low tide essential. Early morning for best light on the cliffs.
The 245-metre white sandstone cliffs are 10 million years old and genuinely impressive. The tunnel through the cliff is a unique feature you don’t find on many walks. The contrast between the white cliffs and black sand beach is striking.
The Waipingau Stream valley with its dense nikau palms feels completely different to typical bush tracks. And the views from the ridge top, looking back over your route and across to Mount Messenger, make the climb worthwhile.
If you’re into geology or fossils, bring a camera. There are fossils in the sandstone boulders at the base of the cliffs.
This is Tongaporutu, where the New Plymouth council has been trying to remove old beach houses (baches) that were built on the river banks years ago. Bit of local controversy there with the owners.
You might run into pig hunters in this area, it’s popular for that. On our last walk we met two young guys carrying out a wild boar their dogs had caught that morning.
This is a proper walk, not a stroll. The distance, the terrain, and the need to time it right with the tides make it medium to hard. But if you’ve got decent fitness and you time the tides right, it’s one of the best coastal walks in Taranaki.
The variety is what makes it. Farm tracks, beach, tunnel, palm valley, ridge climb. You get a bit of everything, and those white cliffs are something you won’t forget.
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