Ti Point Coastal Walk

Dogs Leashed

Features Fishing · Swimming · Views

This is an excellent short trail that starts from the charming Ti Point wharf near the Whangateau harbor. It's doable for the whole family, provides amazing views out to Omaha beach and then out to Little Barrier island on a clear day. The trail is used by fishermen walking out to the end of Ti Point, and occasionally by climbers for the handful of routes on the Ti Point cliff. There's a nice picnic spot with a table just a few hundred meters from the start, and several good swimming spots and places to play on the rocks at low tide as well.

There's a decent amount of parking at the trailhead, with a public restroom. The parking does fill up though - it's used by the local scuba school, many fishermen who fish off the wharf or hike out to Ti Point, folks with a boat on a mooring in Whangateau harbor, and by climbers. This one gets muddy and a bit slippery when it's wet.

The trailhead is easy to find by following signs for Ti Point off the Matakana-Leigh Road. The trailhead is at the very end of the road after it turns to dirt.

The trail starts out in native bush and is nicely shaded on a hot summer day. There are plenty of openings in the vegetation along the way for nice views of Omaha beach near the start, and longer views out to Tawharanui and out across the Hauraki Gulf. The rocky shoreline can be fun to walk around on at low tide, but on those rare big swell days with an easterly coming onshore, beware that the rocks can be sketchy. There are a few sandy spots along the way that would make good swim spots as well.

Work your way along the well-marked track and you'll pass several rooty sections, which can be very slippery when wet, and you'll go over a couple of fence lines with stiles to climb over, and eventually pop out to a grassy open area that leads to a scenic reserve. From there the trail carries on to the right along the shoreline, but eventually ends at the rocky outcropping - scrambling around the point on the rocks is possible, but a bit too adventurous for many.

The main trail eventually works its way left up the hill (as marked here) and up to a fence and a great overlook out past Ti Point. The stile at the fence provides access down to the point for fishing or climbing.

Plants include puriri, flax, bletchnum and nikau.