Muriwai Gannet Colony

Ōtakamiro Point gannet colony, Muriwai Regional Park

Thousands of seabirds nesting right below the cliff-top

⚠ Go Aug–Mar (nesting season)

Hours

Always open (tracks may close for works)

Tickets

Free

Address

Ōtakamiro Point at the south end of Muriwai Beach; 5–10 minutes' walk from the beach car park to the platforms

Stand on the cliff-edge platform and the rock stack just below is covered in thousands of white gannets. They rub their yellow heads together, honk, lift off into the wind and feed chicks a few metres from you. The smell and noise are something. Below, black-sand Muriwai Beach runs dead straight for kilometres, so walk down to it afterwards.