Cannibal Bay
A curved beach named after human bones found in the dunes by a 19th-century surveyor. Sea lions often come ashore here, and it is quiet with few visitors.
Cannibal Bay takes its name from human bones discovered in the dunes by a 19th-century surveyor, which may actually have been remains of a Māori burial ground. Today it is a wide, curved beach where sea lions often haul out to rest, and it sees fewer visitors than Surat Bay. You can drive about 15 minutes from Owaka along a gravel road, or walk over from Surat Bay along the beach at low tide. Keep your distance from the sea lions.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Surat Bay
- Nugget Point / Tokatā
- Jack's Blowhole
- Tunnel Hill Historic Reserve
- Kaka Point
- Owaka Museum Wahi Kahuika
- Purakaunui Falls
- Matai Falls & Horseshoe Falls