Cathedral Gully Where the hills suddenly fall into the sea.
We left Christchurch chasing the coast and found strange fluted cliffs, an exposed clifftop viewpoint, a quiet beach and one of those roads that gets better the farther you follow it.
One climb in the road, and suddenly the whole coast opened up.
Rolling farmland gave way to the Pacific, Gore Bay appeared below us, and right beside the road were some of the strangest cliffs we had seen in New Zealand.
The scenic road is part of the adventure.
You do not need a huge road trip to get a completely different side of Canterbury.
Hurunui District Council promotes the Gore Bay Tourist Drive through the hills, past The Cathedrals and along the coast near Gore Bay.
For us, the best part was how quickly the landscape changed. Farmland, deep valleys, cliffs and the ocean all arrive within the same short stretch of road.
Cathedral Gully & Gore Bay.
On the coast east of Cheviot.
The dramatic formations lie within Gore Bay Scenic Reserve.
Deeply dissected gravel cliffs and pinnacles create the unusual formations.
DOC lists The Cathedrals as a geopreservation site of national interest.
A long beach below the Cathedral Gully landscape.
Hurunui District Council lists toilets at 22 Cathedral Road, Gore Bay.
A quieter coastal stop reached from unsealed Manuka Bay Road.
Cliffs, beach, wildlife and a scenic drive all in one outing.
The coast kept getting better.
Come from Christchurch with us, explore Cathedral Gully, drop down to Gore Bay and keep following the road toward Manuka Bay.
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These cliffs do not look like the rest of the coast.
Sharp ridges, narrow gullies and pale fluted walls rise straight out of the coastal landscape.
Erosion carved the landscape into fluted cliffs and pinnacles.
DOC describes The Cathedrals as a striking badlands formation of deeply dissected gravel cliffs and pinnacles.
The reserve also protects coastal native vegetation around the gullies, making the contrast between pale eroded faces and green slopes even more noticeable.
The viewpoint felt much more exposed than it looked from the road.
Narrow ground, steep sides and enough of a drop that we were very aware of where everyone was standing.
The drop was very real.
We treated the exposed sections carefully and kept well back whenever the ground felt questionable.
The cliffs were only a few minutes from the road, but we stayed much longer.
This ended up being one of our favourite family photos from the whole day.
The road drops from the cliffs straight into a completely different pace.
Gore Bay feels more like a little coastal settlement than a destination built for crowds.
We stopped to read the local history, wandered toward the beach and slowed the day down after spending the first half looking over cliff edges.
Then Malaya found blackberries.
One of those little stops you would never plan, but remember anyway.
We found a picnic table under the trees and called it lunch.
After the exposed cliffs, the shade beside Gore Bay was a pretty good place to stop.
Once we stopped rushing, there was a lot going on.
Coastal plants, insects, birds and one very relaxed kererū near our picnic spot.
No agenda. Just walk the beach.
The cliffs pulled us here, but the beach was the part that made us slow down.
Everyone had left something on the fence.
Shells and naturally holed stones hung all over the beach access.
So we found a stone, added The Scenic Route to it and left a small piece of our day behind too.
Then we kept going toward Manuka Bay.
The road got rougher, the traffic disappeared and the coast felt much more remote.
That was our experience on the day. Current DOC access information matters here because the area is affected by slips and parts of the historic route are no longer open.
DOC describes Manuka Bay Road as unsealed.
DOC says a gate is reached after about 1 km and the road beyond is unsuitable for vehicles.
The southern end of the Manuka Bay Track is permanently closed because of significant slips and fall hazards.
A simple coastal day still deserves a little planning.
Cathedral Gully
The cliffs are a naturally eroding coastal landscape. Stay back from exposed edges and use your own judgement around unstable ground.
Gore Bay Tourist Drive
Hurunui District Council promotes the coastal route through the hills, past the Cathedral Cliffs and Gore Bay.
Toilets
Public toilets are currently listed by Hurunui District Council at 22 Cathedral Road, Gore Bay.
Manuka Bay Road
DOC says the road is unsealed and vehicles should not continue beyond the gate about 1 km down Manuka Bay Road.
Manuka Bay Track
The southern end is permanently closed because of slips and fall hazards. Do not try to use it as a through route.
Weather
DOC notes the Manuka Bay area can be slippery and prone to slips after heavy rain. Check conditions before heading out.
Water and toilets at Manuka Bay
DOC says there are no toilets or drinking water on the Manuka Bay Lookout Track. The nearest public toilets are at Gore Bay.
Wasps
DOC warns wasps may be present around Manuka Bay, particularly in summer and autumn.
Coastal roads and tracks can change after slips, storms and heavy rainfall. Our visit shows what conditions were like when we were there, not a guarantee of current road or track conditions.
What we would want to know before going.
Where is Cathedral Gully?
Are Cathedral Cliffs and The Cathedrals the same place?
What makes The Cathedrals unusual?
Is there a scenic drive through Gore Bay?
Are there public toilets at Gore Bay?
Can you drive all the way down Manuka Bay Road?
Is the full Manuka Bay Track open?
Is Gore Bay worth visiting without doing a long hike?
Official information and our experience are kept separate.
Information about The Cathedrals, Gore Bay Scenic Reserve, public facilities and Manuka Bay access comes from DOC and Hurunui District Council.
The exposed cliff experience, blackberries, beach picnic, wildlife encounters and our coastal road trip come from our own visit.
We followed one coastal road and found a lot more than we expected.
Cathedral Gully gave us the cliffs. Gore Bay gave us a beach worth slowing down for. Then one more turn toward Manuka Bay reminded us why we keep taking the scenic route.