Clifton, Hawke's Bay

Clifton is a locality in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, at the southern end of Hawke Bay. It is thirteen kilometres east of the city centre of Hastings, eighteen kilometres southeast of the city centre of Napier and eight kilometres west of the tip of Cape Kidnappers. It has a beachside camping ground, a shop, a cafe, restaurant and bar, and a car park. Common activities include swimming, boating, kayaking and surfing. It is a starting point for most visitors taking walks or rides to the Cape Kidnappers gannet colony, which is a major tourist attraction.

The camping ground was divided into the No. 1 camp, nearest to the cape, and the No. 2 camp, where Clifton Road first reaches the beach. The No. 1 camp was located between tree-covered hilly terrain and the beach on a narrow strip of flat land. The camp was closed in 2026 when it was decided that it was at risk of landslides from the hills. Clifton Road terminates as a car park at the southern end of Clifton and is the departure point for most people visiting the Cape. It is an eight-kilometre walk along the coast from Clifton to the Cape.

As Clifton is located near the sea in an area that is very prone to coastal erosion, it faces severe problems with the erosion. The Clifton shoreline is constantly being cut away by stormy seas and high ocean tides. Land at Clifton is precious as there is very little of it between the sea and the high terrain. The long term shoreline retreat at Clifton Beach is on average 0.75m per year, higher than coastal erosion rates at Te Awanga and Haumoana further north along the Hawke Bay coastline.

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