Kātiki Point Walking Track: Walking Guide, Time & Access

Route overview

Kātiki Point is the southern point of Moeraki Peninsula. This short walk has commanding coastal views, you'll see the historic lighthouse, Te Raka a Hineatea Pā site, and possibly yellow-eyed penguins and NZ fur seals.

This DOC directory entry covers Kātiki Point Walking Track in Otago, within Moeraki area. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.

Distance, time and grade

• Distance: 800 m return via same track
• Walking time: 20 min return
• DOC grade: Easy

Access and alerts

Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.

Dog access

No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.

Description

This track takes you along a short walk to views of the ocean and coast.

If you quietly follow the track and keep an eye on the coast on the seaward side of the Point you may be rewarded with a sighting of yellow-eyed penguins.

• Keep noise to a minimum.

• Stay on formed tracks.

• The beach cannot be accessed.

Getting there

• Starting in Moeraki, head down Lighthouse Road. The road is gravel and narrow – take care.

• After around 4 km you'll arrive at the Kātiki Point lighthouse.

The track starts at the lighthouse.

Know before you go

• Open from 7:30am-5:30pm.

• Do not eat in the reserve. The reserve has spiritually significant sites, making the consumption of food inappropriate.

• No bicycles allowed.

• This section of coastline is exposed. Beware of tide changes and rogue waves.

Tsunami risk

This track is susceptible to tsunami. If a siren sounds or a tsunami alert is received move to higher ground and stay away from the coast until the risk or alert period is over.

Nature and conservation

Yellow-eyed penguins

This is the most significant breeding site for yellow-eyed penguins/hoiho in North Otago. Although they are often secretive and hard to see.

The lighthouse keeper's house is used as a private rehabilitation centre for sick and injured penguins and other birds. The centre is run by Penguin Rescue NZ. The trust and its volunteers protect penguins from predation by trapping feral cats, ferrets and stoats.

New Zealand fur seals/kekeno

Large numbers of New Zealand fur seals/kekeno haul out to rest on the rocky platforms around Kātiki Point and Moeraki Peninsula. This is the main breeding area in North Otago.

Birds

A variety of sea and shore birds breed here – little blue penguin/kororā, yellow-eyed penguin/hoiho, sooty shearwater/tītī, diving petrel, red-billed gull/tarāpuka, spotted shag/koau pāteketeke, white-fronted tern/tara iti, variable oystercatcher/tōrea pango.

History and culture

Kātiki Point Lighthouse (built in 1878) is owned and managed by Maritime Safety Authority of New Zealand. Close by is the site of the old Te Raka-a-Hineatea Pā.

The reserve is vested in Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu who manage the reserve in conjunction with Te Rūnanga o Moeraki.

Sources and reuse

Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.

The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.