Point Elizabeth Walkway Hiking Trail

Point Elizabeth Walkway is an interesting coastal/bush walk with good views and a few sites of historic interest along the way. From its northern (Rapahoe) end the track climbs to an open terrace with slowly regenerating in native growth after years of farming. Beyond there, in Rapahoe Scenic Reserve, one of the finest remaining tracts of mixed coastal forest in New Zealand extends from the limestone range out to the cliff edge. Gradually the sea can be heard again as big forest gives way to more stunted growth and waves of flax on the Point Elizabeth headland. The exposed rocky point lookout has views south toward Mt Cook, north along a spectacular rocky coast and inland towards the Paparoa Mountain Range. Offshore 'sea stacks' remain as a reminder that the point once extended much farther out to sea. After winding and undulating for a while the track begins to descend toward Cobden's North Beach. The track is mostly level, as it follows an old water race that miners used to sluice their gold claims.