NELSON TRAILS

Cable Bay Walkway

Cable Bay Walkway extends from Glenduan to Rotokura / Cable Bay, north of Nelson City. The hilly coastal walk passes through a mix of pasture, pine forest and native forest, and provides impressive views of Tasman Bay and Cable Bay. The walk can be completed in either direction and is best enjoyed if you have someone to pick you up at the other end.

Details
Length 7.9 km one way
Time Required 3 hr one way
Trail Type 4WD road/Walking track
Physical Difficulty Moderate   
Uses Walking and trail running
Direction Either
Max Elevation 410 m
Amenities There are toilets, but no drinking water sources along the walkway
Seasonal Closure The walkway closes annually for lambing between Aug 1 and Oct 10 (exact dates may vary; the farm owner will advise dates on signs at each end of the walkway)


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Elevation profile: Glenduan to Cable Bay

This elevation profile should be considered approximate. Its accuracy is determined by the quality of data available.

 

Connections

Cable Bay Walkway does not connect to any other tracks.

Access

  15 min from Nelson

 

Cable Bay Walkway can be walked in either direction, but is best enjoyed if you have someone to pick you up at the other end, otherwise you’ll need to return the way you came. Note that the distance by car between the respective ends of the walkway is 14 km.

 

The southern (Nelson) end of the walkway begins at the end of Airlie St, Glenduan. Glenduan is a short deviation off State Highway 6 at Wakapuaka, which is 10 km north of central Nelson. Park your car on the roadside next to the beach. Cable Bay is at the northern end of the walkway. There is a car park at the start of the tombolo that forms the bay. To get to Cable Bay, head north from Nelson along State Highway 6 over Gentle Annie Saddle and turn left at Cable Bay Road (14 km from central Nelson). Cable Bay is 8 km along the road from the turnoff.

 

The walkway is administered and maintained by DOC, though sections of it cross a working farm. Please be respectful of livestock and property, and leave gates as you found them. The walkway closes annually for lambing between August and October (the exact dates may vary; the farm owner will advise these on signs at each end of the walkway).

Description

At the Glenduan end the walkway begins at a gate at the end of Airlie St, and heads up Waihi Creek gully as a farm road. Towards the head of the gully the walkway zig-zags uphill through scrub to reach a junction; continue straight if you’re doing the Glenduan Lookout Loop, which heads down a spur toward the coast, providing expansive views across Tasman Bay, before winding back down to where you started at Airlie St. Otherwise turn right to continue along Cable Bay Walkway, which climbs a bit further up the ridge to a grassed airstrip at 400 m elevation. Here there is a toilet and seating to rest and enjoy the impressive views of the Boulder Bank and Tasman Bay.

 

After the airstrip the walkway goes through a block of pine forest, and then into native bush, which is protected by QEII National Trust Protected Open Space. The track undulates in and out of gullies along here. You may see kererū, tui, fantails and bellbirds thanks to the pest control programme in place.

 

The walkway leaves the bush and descends into open pasture, where there are impressive views down the steep bluffs to the coastline 200 m below. Cable Bay and Pepin island come into view and at Sentinel Hill the walkway descends steeply along a fence line down a spur toward Cable Bay. There is a car park and toilet at the Cable Bay end of the walkway.

 

Cable Bay gets its name from being the location of New Zealand’s first international telecommunication link. An undersea cable between Cable Bay and Sydney was completed in 1876, and a small community formed around the staff operating the infrastructure at the cable station. In 1917 the link was re-routed to Titahi Bay. An information panel provides details of this at the Cable Bay end of the walkway.

 

In the name ‘Rotokura’, ‘roto’ means body of water and ‘kura’ refers to the red volcanic breccia that is found along the shoreline at the entrance to the bay.

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Tramping

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Biking

Cable Bay Walkway

Cable Bay Walkway extends from Glenduan to Rotokura / Cable Bay, north of Nelson City. The hilly coastal walk passes through a mix of pasture, pine forest and native forest, and provides impressive views of Tasman Bay and Cable Bay. The walk can be completed in either direction and is best enjoyed if you have someone to pick you up at the other end.

Details
Length 7.9 km one way
Time Required 3 hr one way
Trail Type 4WD road/Walking track
Physical Difficulty Moderate   
Uses Walking and trail running
Direction Either
Max Elevation 410 m
Amenities There are toilets, but no drinking water sources along the walkway
Seasonal Closure The walkway closes annually for lambing between Aug 1 and Oct 10 (exact dates may vary; the farm owner will advise dates on signs at each end of the walkway)


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Access

  15 min from Nelson

 

Cable Bay Walkway can be walked in either direction, but is best enjoyed if you have someone to pick you up at the other end, otherwise you’ll need to return the way you came. Note that the distance by car between the respective ends of the walkway is 14 km.

 

The southern (Nelson) end of the walkway begins at the end of Airlie St, Glenduan. Glenduan is a short deviation off State Highway 6 at Wakapuaka, which is 10 km north of central Nelson. Park your car on the roadside next to the beach. Cable Bay is at the northern end of the walkway. There is a car park at the start of the tombolo that forms the bay. To get to Cable Bay, head north from Nelson along State Highway 6 over Gentle Annie Saddle and turn left at Cable Bay Road (14 km from central Nelson). Cable Bay is 8 km along the road from the turnoff.

 

The walkway is administered and maintained by DOC, though sections of it cross a working farm. Please be respectful of livestock and property, and leave gates as you found them. The walkway closes annually for lambing between August and October (the exact dates may vary; the farm owner will advise these on signs at each end of the walkway).

Description

At the Glenduan end the walkway begins at a gate at the end of Airlie St, and heads up Waihi Creek gully as a farm road. Towards the head of the gully the walkway zig-zags uphill through scrub to reach a junction; continue straight if you’re doing the Glenduan Lookout Loop, which heads down a spur toward the coast, providing expansive views across Tasman Bay, before winding back down to where you started at Airlie St. Otherwise turn right to continue along Cable Bay Walkway, which climbs a bit further up the ridge to a grassed airstrip at 400 m elevation. Here there is a toilet and seating to rest and enjoy the impressive views of the Boulder Bank and Tasman Bay.

 

After the airstrip the walkway goes through a block of pine forest, and then into native bush, which is protected by QEII National Trust Protected Open Space. The track undulates in and out of gullies along here. You may see kererū, tui, fantails and bellbirds thanks to the pest control programme in place.

 

The walkway leaves the bush and descends into open pasture, where there are impressive views down the steep bluffs to the coastline 200 m below. Cable Bay and Pepin island come into view and at Sentinel Hill the walkway descends steeply along a fence line down a spur toward Cable Bay. There is a car park and toilet at the Cable Bay end of the walkway.

 

Cable Bay gets its name from being the location of New Zealand’s first international telecommunication link. An undersea cable between Cable Bay and Sydney was completed in 1876, and a small community formed around the staff operating the infrastructure at the cable station. In 1917 the link was re-routed to Titahi Bay. An information panel provides details of this at the Cable Bay end of the walkway.

 

In the name ‘Rotokura’, ‘roto’ means body of water and ‘kura’ refers to the red volcanic breccia that is found along the shoreline at the entrance to the bay.

Connections

Cable Bay Walkway does not connect to any other tracks.

 

Updated 26 January 2019