The Gannet Ride

This self-guided ride starts and finishes from the Gannet Beach Adventures site at 475 Clifton Road, Clifton, Te Awanga, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand - no need for you to cart bikes all over the countryside. Turn right when you hit the beach then you’ve got about 9km (18km return) of cycling along a sandy, gravelly and sometimes rocky beach. There could be waves and it’s up to you whether to avoid them... sometimes you might not have any choice...

You’ll cycle next to striking cliffs showing the different geology and you'll see evidence of massive earthquakes which have shaped New Zealand. You’ll see different species of birds and depending on the time of year maybe a seal or a penguin, or a dolphin or an orca out to sea. Towards the end of the beach you’ll come across our amazing Gannet Colonies. This is a nature trip with a bit of exercise and fun thrown in, total return trip time (including the walk to the Plateau Gannet Colony) is approximately 3.5 – 4 hours. Most days the beach is a fun ride, other days it’s a bit rough and not for the faint hearted…..enjoy the ride!

About 1km from the end of the beach you’ll cycle through the Black Reef Gannet Colony. You’ll get right up close and personal with these amazing birds. Depending on the time of year you’ll see eggs, small fluffy chicks or larger speckled chicks getting ready for their trip to Australia. The adult birds are incredible to watch as they fly and land right in front of you, they feed their young and tweak their nests all the while virtually ignoring us humans.

At the end of the beach ride, park and lock your bike and helmet together. About 200m up the track is the Department of Conservation rest shelter with fresh water, a place to have a picnic and toilets. Then you’re off on a moderate 1.3km walk up to the largest mainland gannet colony in the world, the Plateau Gannet Colony. While you’re up there, walk over to the lighthouse and look down on the smaller Saddle Colony. This is definitely worth the walk, lots of gannets, a wonderful aroma of guano and a stunning view of the world.