Sandymount Track

Sandymount Track - Lovers Leap and The Chasm

Sandymount Track

Lovers Leap and The Chasm

15 Rankers Reviews

13 Face-to-Face

16 Seal Watching

10 Penguin Watching

12 Dunedin

Your Nature Guide

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Marios Gavalas

Author And Researcher

Nau mai, haere mai

Nau mai, haere mai

I'm Marios, delivering the best of Aotearoa's nature walks to your device.

I've personally walked hundreds of New Zealand's tracks and spent months in libraries uncovering interesting information on New Zealand/Aotearoa. And you'll find a slice of that research on this page - enjoy!

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Photos

Views south from Sandymount

Information

Sandymount Track

2.5 km return | 1 hour return

The huge dune of Sandymount has been built of wind-blown sand and is now consolidated into farmland. Lovers Leap and The Chasm are two precipitous coastal formations which add to the expansive Otago Peninsula views.

Walking Track

Timing

The track is closed for lambing between 1st September and 15th October.

Access

From Portobello Follow Highcliff Road 4.6 km to Sandymount Road. This winding unsealed road dips and mounts the dunes before rising to an elevated parking area and the start of the tracks. The road is slippery when wet an not suited to large campervans.

Track

From the parking area the track is signposted. This description does and anticlockwise loop of Sandymount.

Head immediately to the left and climb to a triangulation marker on the summit. There are 360 degree views over Sandfly Bay, the harbour, ocean and peninsula.

Back on the main track the wide track undulates through the gorse and scrub. Signposts at the junction keep you heading left.

After dipping into a coastal ngaio forest with convoluted trunks, you exit onto farmland. The lookout platform over Lovers Leap is visible.

Keep winding round the hill. Pass through the farm gate just after the expansive views of Hoopers Inlet come to view. This lookout over The Chasm completes the duo of vertiginous coastal drops.

The avenue of macrocarpa trees past the farm shed, lead back to the parking area.

Geology

Rock arches such as Lovers Leap are formed by the continuous erosion of waves exploiting a weakness in the rock. This process enlarges a cave which eventually pierces a hole and continues to erode the weaker vein of rock. Eventually this form an arch. In time, this arch will collapse and form and entry for the sea, like at The Chasm.

Flora

Macrocarpa is a North American cypress which has adapted well to the windy conditions of Otago Peninsula.

Details

Feature Value Info

Organisation

DOC Otago

Central government organisation

Location

South IslandCoastal OtagoDunedin

Categories

  • Activity__seal_watchingSeal Watching
  • Activity__walking_and_trekkingWalking
  • Activity__penguin_watchingPenguin Watching
  • Free

Directions

To Coordinates

Coordinates

-45.8885146030189

170.67093372345

Latitude
-45.8885146030189
Longitude
170.67093372345

Nearby

Reviews

    • Amazing wildlife, well sign posted, good views.
    • Allen's Beach.
    • Saw sea lions and Albatross.
    • Great scenery driving/hiking on Highcliff Road.
    • Our favorite walk during our trip.
    Rating Count Percentage
    10/10 5
    33%
    9/10 6
    40%
    8/10 2
    13%
    7/10 1
    7%
    6/10 1
    7%
    5/10 0
    0%
    4/10 0
    0%
    3/10 0
    0%
    2/10 0
    0%
    1/10 0
    0%
  • 4.5/5

    Great scenery driving/hiking on Highcliff Road.

    From there one can reach the bay area or hike down to the pacific coast. Awesome view and picnic opportunity at Rotary Park.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in November 2016

  • 4.0/5

    Saw sea lions and Albatross.

    No penguins though. Beautiful area!

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in November 2016

  • 4.0/5

    We saw heaps of Albatross and seals, very spectacular and well worth the drive.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in November 2016

  • 5.0/5

    We walked down to the bay where the seals are asleep all around us plus some swimming right close to the shore!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in March 2016

  • 3.0/5

    It is a long trip to reach the albatross viewing point.

    Nice landscape. No penguins before sunset.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

  • 5.0/5

    With Otago Peninsula and its wildlife, Dunedin is my favourite city in New Zealand.

    The Victorian architecture, the nightlife and the vibes are a great combination. Make sure you visit while the university students are there!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in January 2016

  • 5.0/5

    Seals, penguins and birds catching fish in the cascading waves.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in January 2016

  • 3.5/5

    We went for a ride and then walked through the beaches.

    We couldn't see the penguins but if you go at 6.00am or at sunset you could see them. Nice peninsula full of birds. We saw some albatross.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

  • 4.5/5

    Our favorite walk during our trip.

    We choosed the Lover Leap track.

    Reviewed almost 9 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Allen's Beach.

    Get lucky and you can watch for seals on the beach!

    Reviewed over 14 years ago and experienced in May 2010

  • 4.5/5

    Beautiful views and short walks to different Bays (Sandfly Bay + Ocean Grove)

    Reviewed almost 15 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Amazing wildlife, well sign posted, good views.

    Enjoyed.

    Reviewed almost 15 years ago and experienced in March 2009

  • 4.5/5

    Great scenery driving/hiking on Highcliff Road.

    From there one can reach the bay area or hike down to the pacific coast. Awesome view and picnic opportunity at Rotary Park.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in November 2016

  • 4.0/5

    Saw sea lions and Albatross.

    No penguins though. Beautiful area!

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in November 2016

  • 4.0/5

    We saw heaps of Albatross and seals, very spectacular and well worth the drive.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in November 2016

  • 5.0/5

    Seals, penguins and birds catching fish in the cascading waves.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in January 2016

  • 5.0/5

    With Otago Peninsula and its wildlife, Dunedin is my favourite city in New Zealand.

    The Victorian architecture, the nightlife and the vibes are a great combination. Make sure you visit while the university students are there!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in January 2016

  • 5.0/5

    We walked down to the bay where the seals are asleep all around us plus some swimming right close to the shore!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in March 2016

  • 3.0/5

    It is a long trip to reach the albatross viewing point.

    Nice landscape. No penguins before sunset.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

  • 3.5/5

    We went for a ride and then walked through the beaches.

    We couldn't see the penguins but if you go at 6.00am or at sunset you could see them. Nice peninsula full of birds. We saw some albatross.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

  • 4.5/5

    Our favorite walk during our trip.

    We choosed the Lover Leap track.

    Reviewed almost 9 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Allen's Beach.

    Get lucky and you can watch for seals on the beach!

    Reviewed over 14 years ago and experienced in May 2010

  • 4.5/5

    Amazing wildlife, well sign posted, good views.

    Enjoyed.

    Reviewed almost 15 years ago and experienced in March 2009

  • 4.5/5

    Beautiful views and short walks to different Bays (Sandfly Bay + Ocean Grove)

    Reviewed almost 15 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    From Sandfly Beach to Lovers Leap walk through huge sand dunes, ends at amazing cliff.

    Reviewed almost 15 years ago