Wild Things - New Zealand's trail running community
New Zealand's trail running community

Login



don't have an account?

Sandhills, Cannibals & Sea-Lions, Otago

Trail Directory proudly supported by Further Faster

Update Your Header Picture

Sandhills, Cannibals & Sea-LionsBeginner

Submitted by Keith Wright

Info Info
Map Loading

Trail Information

9.00km

70m

70m

 

Otago

Balclutha

Front country - easily accessible

Out and Back

Totally/mostly flat

Beach

Beginner

1:20 (Slow)
1:00 (Moderate)
0:40 (Fast)

-1.1%

+1.1%

Download PDF Guide

Fastest Known Times (FKTs)

Please set your gender to see your position on the FKT leaderboards.

Men

Women

Filter FKTs

The more , the harder the FKT will be to beat. Learn about Fastest Known Times.

Missing your time?

Register or login as a VIP and get yourself on the FKT leaderboard!

Register Now

Description

Make your way from the carpark at Newhaven down to the edge of the estuary and follow it out onto Surat Bay, make your way down to the far end of the beach. At the end of the beach hunt around in the sand dunes until you find the marked trail and follow it for 600 metres across to Cannibal Bay. Run as far as you like down that beach, before returning the way you came.


Trail Community

Find people who are interested in this run.

You must register or login to view this content.

Features of interest

There are great sea views along with a sense of history.
Surat Bay gets its name to the ship Surat, wrecked on the bar, New Years Day 1874.

Both Cannibal and Surat Bays are regular haul out sites for New Zealand sea lions. Sea Lions are large, not scared of people and can move surprisingly fast. Enjoy them, but do give them a wide berth (10-20m) and let them appreciate their quiet enjoyment of the beach.

At low tide follow the beach round to aptly named False Islet and turn onto the track that cuts through the sandhills. Amongst the sand is evidence of a forest buried by wind blown sand as well as moa hunter living areas.


Make Up of Run

Untracked / Route only: 10%

Easy Single Track: 90%


Route Data

Reviews:

You must register or login to view this content.

Photos:

You must register or login to view this content.

Your Trail Wishlist

All the runs that are on your To Do list (no limit).

Add to wishlist view wishlist

Your Trail Dreamlist

The runs you most want to do (limited to 10).

Add to dreamlist view dreamlist

Wild Explorers

I did it!
  • Access

    From Owaka, turn off Pounawea Road onto Newhaven Road and turn right for the carpark at Newhaven.
    Or if travelling from Balclutha, take the Owaka highwayfor 27.8 km, turn left onto Duttons Road and travel to its end (2.6 km), turn left onto Newhaven road travelling for 3.0km until you see the beach access sign. Drive for around 100 m and find a park.

    There's room for around 10 cars at the end of the road.

    35 km

    30 minutes

    Yes

    No

  • Staying Safe

    Easy.

    The only tricky point is finding the trail to take you across the headland to the second beach. You'll know it when you find it as it is marked and easy to distinguish.

    Unknown.

    Short-sleeved thermal top, Windproof jacket, Cellphone, Map.

    No drinking water available along this route.

    Nil

    Sea-lions can be territorial or grumpy, they can move fast and are heavy creatures that should be respected and given a reasonable berth.

  • Blog Posts and Articles
  • Sponsor this trail

    If you are interested in learning about sponsorship opportunities, please get in touch below:

    Submit

Got a favourite trail? Tell us about it.

Share the love and add your favourite trail(s) to our growing trail directory.

Submit A Trail

Become a member today

Start enjoying the many benefits to becoming a member of our thriving community.

Become a member

Great brands at great prices with our VIP member's discount

Stay up to date

Sign up to our newsletter for latest offers and trail guides

Share this trail with a friend:

VIP Membership

Please register as a VIP or login to your VIP account to view this content.

Cancel Login Register

Membership Required

You can see up to three trail guides without being logged in but after that we require you to be logged in to your Free or VIP account. If you don’t yet have an account you can register here.

Login Register