Police are reminding people to do their research before heading out for any shoreline or wilderness walks, following a rescue along the east coast.

Shortly before 11am on Thursday, a group of overseas tourists became trapped between the tide and steep cliffs while walking the foreshore to the Gannet Colony, near the end of Cape Kidnappers.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand, and Coastguard New Zealand kicked into action with a swift response.

"Thankfully, as the group realised they were trapped, they stopped at one of the few places along the coastline where they managed to keep away from the rising tide," says an Eastern District Police spokesperson.

"Surf Lifesaving’s Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) was able to get in close enough to the group to extract them from the shore, passing them on to Coastguard who were able to complete the rescue and take the group back to safety."

Police say that they, Surf Lifesaving and Coastguard have conducted past exercises in this area for this scenario, which has lead to this successful response and recovery.

"Thankfully, nobody was injured, however, if the circumstances were different, the outcome could have been tragic."

There are warning signs at the beach around Clifton and at the beginning of the walk, advising walkers to check tide times, walking times and fitness levels required before attempting to walk the Gannet Colony.

"This is a timely reminder for people to do their research before heading out for any shoreline or wilderness walks, and to take into account all warning signs along the way," says a police spokesperson.

"We would also like to again commend the response by Surf Lifesaving and Coastguard volunteers, with a professional response leading to a successful recovery."