Port Robinson walkway.

Prior to the Cave Creek tragedy (1995), the Department of Conservation used to maintain a walking track stretching from Gore Bay to the Hurunui River mouth. Signs, marker posts and rudimentary maintainance was done to keep the track in reasonable condition. Since that time, DOC appear only interested in projects that involve 4 lane wooden boardwalks and structures which support Centurion tanks and for fear of being sued or out of sheer bloody mindedness have abandoned many tracks which include our walkway. This may be a two edged sword the minus being that only the keenest and hardiest can tackle the northern section, but their reward is a natural setting and beauty unspoiled by the crowds. There is an on-going dispute between DOC and the landowner at the Hurunui mouth end and as a result has stopped transit across his land. I'm told you can make a bypass by making a turn down to the sea, but I can't confirm this. I haven't walked this section myself as the faithful dog is prohibited, but it's about 5km in length and takes a couple of hours. Reports in Jan '07 say the track is in poor overgrown condition.

Starting from Gore Bay, the route always ran along the low tide mark walking along the beach to the south end and clambering around the rocks to Port Robinson. The coastline is heavy shingle and rocks and good footwear is required. It can only be done at low tide which is why I am including tide tables on this site. This photo taken at high tide shows the route looking back to Gore Bay

An alternative was to start the walk from a track at the end of Port Robinson Rd. This track was (and still is) used by surfies to get to the shoreline and also continued over farmland to Manuka Bay to join up with either the beach or the top of the access road.
Erosion has destroyed much of this path and it is no easy task to negotiate. Part has to be negotiated along the beach and the easiest route is to stick to the shoreline all the way at low tide. At the time of writing (June 2007) there is a colony of seals that have settled into the area (see photos). You can join up with the old track following the old marker posts just past the first point on the beach (look for the DOC sign pointing uphill). The Hurunui District Council 2 years ago funded a bulldozer to clear a track two thirds the way to the beach from Port Rob road, but the last section is difficult to negotiate (see photos). This section of the track is officially closed according to the DOC web site.