And the dog came too... dog walks in New Zealand
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Tahunanui Beach

If your dog is a socialite and likes partying, this is the place to go. It's fun 24/7 at Tahunanui, and at almost any time of day there'll be between five and fifty dogs running around, having a whale of a time.

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Tahunanui Beach

Ignore the attractive but stuffy town end of the beach which only humans can use, take the turning off Rocks Road and drive past the sports field and the animal park (no dogs!), past the water slide and the beach cafe, and park near the end of Back Beach Road, and you've reached doggy heaven: a long, sandy beach dedicated to dogs, and invariably full of canines of every conceivable size and breed, all doing every possible doggy thing.

The main playground is the beach itself - a long, hooked spit enclosing a shallow lagoon. Depending on the state of the tide, the beach provides up to a kilometre walk, but most dogs will double or treble that easily as they race up and down, joining first one gang of friends and then another. It's also possible to make a good loop walk by returning via the lagoon (when the tide is out) or by taking one of the several informal pathways that have developed through the woodland at the back of the beach. Alternatively, you can take along some sandwiches and a good book, and just sit and enjoy the view to the Kauranghi Ranges while your dog joins in with the resident canine crowd.

Yellow circles show best parking areas. Note: no dogs on the camp site, to the south of the lagoon. 
Name
Tahunanui Beach
Location
Nelson
Co-ordinates
1620134  5430092
Alternative co-ordinates
 
Configuration
Loop
Distance
1.5 km
Status
Off-leash
Grade
Easy
Access
At the traffic lights in Tahunanui, turn north off SH6, then left just before the beachfront. Follow the road past the waterslides and beach café and park in the carpark beyond.
Description
Doggy heaven. A dedicated off-lead exercise beach, with an area of woodland behind, that is always full of dogs of every shape, size and breed having a whale of a time.
Connecting tracks
 
Further information
 
If you've found this website helpful, you might also want to look at some of my novels and poetry. These, like my dog-walking, are drawn from a love of nature and the countryside. To learn more, click here.