Wenderholm to Stillwater

Wenderholm to Orewa Estuary - 11.5km / 3hr

• Low tide route only

Requires a low tide - check tides at Niwa

From the Puhoi River boat ramp at Wenderholm Regional Park take the sealed road south-east through the carpark. Follow the signs for Walking tracks, through the gate into the Couldray House grounds. Continue to the right of the house to reach the park signboard. Turn left at the signboard and walk 200 m to join with the Perimeter Track. This is a loop track so arrows indicate both directions. Clockwise over the headland is the most picturesque and has great views.  Cross the gravel road and head uphill on the Perimeter Track towards Kokoru Bay.

NOTE:  Some Wenderholm tracks have been re-aligned and renamed since the Te Araroa maps were drawn.  Map 28 does not accurately show the current route.  Wenderholm Cliff Walkway has been replaced by the Perimeter Track and the clockwise Te Araroa route starts from the path to the right (south) of Couldray House

Exit the track by the Waiwera Bridge on the Hibiscus Coast Highway. Cross the bridge and head down Waiwera Road to the beach. Time your walk so that you reach here about half an hour before low tide.

At low tide, it is an easy walk and rock hop around rocks to Hatfields Beach. Beware of slippery rocks.

At the southern end of the beach, take the public walkway steps up to Ocean View Road and follow the walkway signs south via footpaths back out to the Hibiscus Coast Highway. Just over the hill to the south is Lookout Point and the most fantastic view down Orewa Beach – a great sight no matter what the weather.

Note: Optionally, you can avoid Lookout Point by walking along the beach and rocks from Hatfields to Orewa at low tide. This option, however, would bypass the elevated coastal views.

Continue down the hill and walk through Arundel Reserve to Orewa Beach. About 1.5km south is the Orewa Beach Shopping Centre. (Orewa Beach is approx 3km long in total).

Orewa Estuary to Stillwater - 13km / 3 hours

From the southern end of Orewa Beach, follow the path to the bridge over the Orewa River.

At the south end of the bridge, take the path next to the bridge and turn west underneath the bridge onto Te Ara Tahuna (The Orewa Estuary Cycleway and Walkway)

Follow Te Ara Tahuna approx. 2.5km to the intersection of Longmore Lane and Millwater Parkway then turn south for 1km.

Turn right/south at the intersection of Millwater Parkway and Silverdale Street. On your left is the Silverdale Centre with a selection of shops, including a supermarket, outdoors shop and pharmacy. To your right are multiple banks (with ATMs), fast food outlets, butcher and greengrocer.

Continue on Silverdale Street to the intersection with Hibiscus Coast Highway where an underpass takes you safely under the road, and onto Tavern Road (past the historic Wade Tavern), up the hill to Forge Road/East Coast Bays Road.

Turn south onto East Coast Bays Road and walk 2km to the intersection with Spur Road. Turn east onto Spur Road and walk 1.4km to where it leads into Duck Creek Road. Continue a further 5km on Duck Creek Road to the Stillwater Boating Club where the next track commences.  This road is narrow and winding with poor visibility.  Duck Creek Road will be bypassed when the PenLink road bridge is built, but that is a long time away.  It is often possible to hitch from the top of Spur Road. Local residents, concerned about the safety of walkers on narrow Duck Creek Road, may offer lifts to hikers waiting at the top of Spur Road, km 558