Can I go to... Cape Kidnappers this summer?

Bird-watching at Cape Kidnappers is a thrilling experience.

There was minor damage around the Hawke’s Bay jewel during Cyclone Gabrielle, but this summer you can definitely get up close to one of the largest gannet colonies in the world at Cape Kidnappers/Te Kauwae-a-Māui, east of Hastings.

The mostly beachside walk is “primarily open” as of December, Department of Conservation acting operations manager Kath Houkamau said. Walkers traverse it at their own risk.

“However, access is restricted due to council road closures at beach access points,” Houkamau said.

You can follow the beach from Clifton to Cape Kidnappers/Te Kauwae-a-Māui. It’s a 19km return walk that can only be attempted around low tide, with high tides and big seas blocking beach access.

Arriving at the gannet colony, you’ll see up to 25,000 gannets within close distance.

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You can marvel at their 2m wingspan and watch them swooping, diving for fish, and feeding their young chicks.

Gannets are quirky birds with interesting eye markings, unusual nest styles, and a fascinating courtship dance.

Black Reef is the first gannet nesting site, 7.5km from Clifton.

The gannet colony at the end of Cape Kidnappers. Photo / Jason Oxenham

A 1km climb then takes you from the beach to a benched area on the hill where you can view the second colony, with spectacular views of Hawke’s Bay.

Before attempting the track, walkers need to be aware that the beach is subject to landslides and rockfall.

“The risk is real and significant,” and people who choose to travel down the beach are “accepting this risk”, a Hawke’s Bay DoC spokesperson said. A landslide buried and injured a tourist and his friend in 2019.

If you don’t want the risk, Gannet Safaris Overland operates a bus from September through until April, with daily departures at 9.30am and 1.30pm seven days a week including Christmas Day.

It also does private tours and sunrise tours and caters for individuals, families and groups.

If you would prefer a good walk spoiled, atop the cliffs you can find another major attraction, the Cape Kidnappers golf course.

Featuring 18 holes, the golf course has been hailed as one of the great modern marvels in golf.

The sixth hole in particular is regarded as “one of the great golf holes of the world”.

The Te Kauwae-a-Māui name comes from the story of Māui fishing up the North Island of New Zealand, using a hook made from the jawbone of his grandmother,

The curve of the cape represents the hook.

A man and a woman were injured in a landslide at Cape Kidnappers in 2019. Photo / Supplied

Cape Kidnappers was later named as a commemoration of an incident during Captain Cook’s 1769 voyage.

Māori traders are said to have seized Cook’s Tahitian cabin boy who they thought was being held against his will.

When Cook’s men fired on the Māori canoe, the cabin boy escaped and returned to the ship.

Following this, the Deed of Settlement made Te Kauwae-a-Māui an official name, alongside the European name, Cape Kidnappers.

Hawke’s Bay Today is running a series of articles called ‘Can I go to...’ to help people decide if they should go to popular summer spots after the cyclone. If you have a place you would like to be featured, email us at news@hbtoday.co.nz