Following 500 year old Pounamu and Gold Trails, the Kawau Section offers an expansive coastal experience, featuring outlooks to the stunning Tasman Sea and Paparoa Ranges. Stay curious, as the Trail also gives a peek at The Steeples as you ride towards the impressive Omau clifftops which are unique to the area.

7 km of flat terrain runs adjacent to the sandy beach, and rises gently as it reaches the Cape Foulwind headland (Kawau Point). The reefs located here were important for kai moana (seafood). Looking inland, the old Cape Foulwind Railway ran alongside, and during the Gold Rush era, the Gibson’s Rest accommodation to rest your head.

The name Kawau derives from the Māori name for the Cormorant or Shag. A large diving bird commonly found on rivers, estuaries, harbours and coastal waters. Kawau Point was historically a vital lookout for Māori, allowing them to communicate with Kawatiri using smoke signals to warn of the arrivals of friend or foe.

The penguins along this coastline are locally known as the little blue penguin (kororā).
This protected native species are the world’s smallest penguin at just over 25 cm and weighing 1 kg. Kororā are very faithful to their home site, generally returning to within metres of where they were born to set up their own nests, and never move away.

Expansive outlooks to the Tasman Sea and Paparoa Ranges
The Steeples
Omau clifftops
Cape Foulwind
Gibson Beach
The hole in the rock
Views to Mt Rochfort and the Mt William Range North of Westport
Little blue penguins (kororā)