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Cape Kidnappers, Clifton

4.7
#3 of 45 in Parks in Hawke's Bay Region
Wildlife Area · Nature / Park
Home to two large gannet colonies, Cape Kidnappers is a rugged headline at the end of a peninsula protruding deep into the Pacific Ocean. Named after an attempt by the local Maori to kidnap a Tahitian servant from explorer James Cook's ship, the headland remains designated as an important bird area and serves as a breeding site for nearly 3,000 pairs of gannets. The birds nest between November and February, which remains the best time to visit this protected natural world. Visit the headland at low tide and remember that nesting gannets do not like fast movements or loud noises. Put Cape Kidnappers into our Clifton online travel route planner to see other points of interest to visit during your vacation in Clifton.
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Tours to Cape Kidnappers

FROM $624 BOOK WITH VIATOR Exclusive SUNRISE tour to Cape Kidnappers
Duration: 3 hours
Tours from $624 »
FROM $540 BOOK WITH VIATOR Private tour to Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony
Duration: 3 hours
Tours from $540 »

Cape Kidnappers reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
329 reviews
Google
4.8
TripAdvisor
  • By Freedom65440
    The guys well informative about the local history, and the Gannets. We had a great time, riding behind the tractors. We highly recommend this tour.  more »
  • By TaniaH552
    This was a unique experience. Great if you like to travel around countryside, would be nice if the windows on the 4wd vans could open wider for videography or photos but the guide offers plenty of...  more »
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Google
  • By Kevin McPhillips
    Even if you don’t go all the way to the bird colony at the end, it’s a stunning walk along the beach. Towering cliffs overhead. Beautiful geography. An easy to navigate beach walk, though pay attention to tides. There are some inlets to explore that look like they fill with water when it rains. But don’t expect to be able to climb up to the top of the cliff face anywhere easily. There is parking at the end of the road, then walking through a trailer park at the beginning of the beach. Great views. Highly recommend this hike.
  • By Sanish Cherian
    Great walk to the beach and excellent scenes of cliffs and a huge numbers of birds to seen around . Loads to capture for those photo freaks and some good aerial view too
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