'The Roosters' to Blackpool

2 hours 30 minutes
Bi-Directional
Grade 4
11 km

Explore the back streets and back yards of the ‘real’ Waiheke, dipping in and out of coastal paths and discovering the wonderful Te Toki Reserve.

Location

This walk starts at the entrance to the Onetangi Sports Park, where a flock of resident roosters reside. Alternatively, if you’re not completing all sections of Te Ara Hura, you could start this walk at Calais Terrace.

Take the dog, they’ll love the Te Toki Reserve, which is an off-lead dog park and bush track. Parts are on-lead on the road, and Blackpool beach has Dotterels and Kuaka (Godwits).

The main road through the island changes its name seemingly at every turn, so we have referred to it as “the main road” in these directions, to avoid confusion.

Transport/car-pooling/parking

Bus: The Rocky Bay bus will take you to the walk start point on O’Brien Rd at the Onetangi Sports Park. The endpoint at Blackpool is on the same route.

Car: Park at the start, and catch the Rocky Bay bus back to your car from Blackpool at the endpoint. If you have 2 cars leave one at each end, there is plenty of parking at both ends of the walk.

Track summary

This walk makes up part of the Te Ara Hura trail, a 100km walking adventure around Waiheke Island.

This is an interesting walk, which takes you through a residential area of Waiheke, with the unique perspective of exploring on foot. After the Anzac Bay section – if the tide is low – you can scramble around the rocks out to the point of Putiki Bay and the most-photographed ‘All you need is love’ graffiti.

You will pass through the Okahuiti Wetlands and Te Toki Reserve, hidden gems on the island, right in its very heart. And along shady, meandering Wilma Rd.

The final part of this track is around the Esplanade, a shared walk/ride/drive road that is a taste of old Waiheke.

Click on the “Directions” tab (above) for detailed walking directions. On a mobile phone “Directions” is a dropdown option in the “Overview” bar.

0km – With ‘the Roosters’ at the entrance to Onetangi Sports Park at your back, turn right onto O’Brien Rd. At the T intersection, turn left onto Ostend Rd to head up the hill on the shared cycle and walkway beside the main road. You will only be on this rather busy section of road for about 10 minutes. Alternatively, if you’re not completing the whole Te Ara Hura, you could start this walk at Calais Terrace.

1.4km – turn left onto Calais Terrace and head up the hill, following the Te Ara Hura signs around to Natzka Rd.

2km – turn left onto Natzka Rd.

Head down toward Anzac Bay and walk along across this dog-friendly shore, past the retirement village, to the far side of the Bay.

2.4km – Here the track splits into the low tide route along the shore, or for the regular high tide route turn right and follow Ladd Rd up the hill to Ostend Rd.

If you take the low tide route you’ll follow the shoreline until you come to the boat ramp at the point. At the top of the ramp look left to see the ‘All you need is Love’ graffiti. Then, with the graffiti behind you, follow Wharf Rd to join with the regular high tide route from 3.3km.

Regular high tide route:

2.6km – At the top of Ladd Rd, turn left onto Ostend Rd, walk past the store and turn immediately left again onto Albert Rd to head up the hill.

3.1km – At the end of this no exit road is the walkway to Wharf Rd, which zig-zags down the hill.

3.3km – At the bottom of the walkway turn right onto Wharf Rd. Follow the road to where it meets Causeway Road.

4km – At the corner of Wharf Rd and Causeway Rd, cross Causeway Road toward the rugby field and with the rugby field on your left, continue along this main road (confusingly also called Wharf Rd here) toward Ostend and Palm Beach.

4.4km – Just before Wharf Rd meets Belgium St (the main route to Ostend village), look out for the Te Ara Hura red markers and the sign for Okahuiti Wetlands. Veer left to follow this track as it dips below road level.

5.1km – This lovely wetland track section meanders alongside the road, until you pop out near the corner of Bay Rd and Te Toki Rd. It’s well signposted, turn left here.

5.2km – After only 100m look left and turn left into the Te Toki Reserve – the signs for this are only visible once you’ve turned left!

Here you venture into the lovely reserve bush track, which not far along meets the grass reserve and it’s worth walking up to the wonderful huge põhutukawas on the reserve. This is a dogs and dog walkers off-lead paradise of long grass and mowed tracks.

To continue along the Te Ara Hura trail, and walk around the park on the bush track, return to the track from the pōhutukawas and continue on the track (in your original direction) through regenerating bush. Follow the red Te Ara Hura markers as the track skirts the grassy dog park in a U shape, and then heads uphill to a well-mowed part of the paddock with a wooden fence. Exit through the gate in the fence onto Wilma Rd.

If you’d prefer, make the most of the criss-cross of grassy dog park tracks in the centre – to exit the park, head uphill to a well-mowed part of the paddock and exit through the gate in the fence onto Wilma Rd.

Turn left and follow Wilma Rd.

8km – After 2 km on lovely, tree-lined Wilma Rd, you’ll come to the main road at a busy roundabout. Cross the main road, and facing the roundabout, turn left to head down Donald Bruce Rd. Cross Donald Bruce Rd, so you’re on the right hand side (with the roundabout behind you).

8.1km – About 100m down Donald Bruce Rd, just past the Waiheke Kindergarten, there is a sign to turn right and walk alongside the driveway to follow the Te Ara Hura.

This track takes you behind the Kindergarten and follows the grassy track which takes you behind the backyards of houses along the main road. Stay left to stay off the main road until you come to Hooks Lane.

8.6km – Turn right on Hooks Lane toward the main road, and left onto the main road, to continue following the Te Ara Hura markers.

9km – Stop for a snack or coffee as you pass through the Surfdale shops.

9.2km – Turn left onto Blake Street heading directly toward the Surfdale beach, and turn right to walk along the beach to the end, where you’ll find the Esplanade.

9.5km – Turn left onto The Esplanade, an old gravel road, and follow this flat road around the coast for about 1.5km to reach Blackpool Beach. Blackpool Beach is on-lead only.

You can finish this walk at any point along Blackpool Beach. Turn right into Moa Rd for the closest bus stop, or follow the road directly up to Oneroa Village.