Trig Hill to Rocky Bay - Walk Waiheke

2 - 2.5 hours
Bi-Directional
Grade 5
6 km

This walk starts at the top of Trig Hill Rd, at the Pukeatua Reserve, near Ecozip.

Part of this walk is dog-friendly, they are welcome in the top part of Whakanewha, but not along Dotties Lane/near the beach. If you’d like to walk with your dog, you will need to finish this walk at the Sculpture car park on Gordons Rd. Please note the Sculpture car park is not on a bus route, so you may prefer one of our dog-friendly walks.

Transport/car-pooling/parking

Bus: Catch the Onetangi Bus and get off at Totara Rd stop. Walk the 25 minutes to the top of Trig Hill Rd, or about 35 minutes if you leave from Onetangi Beach. This would add 2 – 3km to the walk. You finish at Rocky Bay where the bus runs regularly to the ferry.

Car: If you have 2 cars leave one at each end, there is plenty of parking at both ends of the walk. If you have 1 car, it’s a little complicated but easiest to drive to the end-point at Rocky Bay, and take the Rocky Bay bus to the main road, and change buses for the Onetangi bus to get to the Totara Rd stop at the bottom of Trig Hill Rd. See above.

Track summary

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

This is a stunning walk through some of the most delightful and well kept walking tracks on the island, through dense native bush, following along a freshwater stream as it cascades (quite gently unless it has been raining heavily) over dark boulders and mossy banks.

You will visit the shores of Whakanewha Bay, famous for rare bird spotting, and home to NZ dotterels and oystercatchers, herons, pied stilts, banded rails and many more. The kererū soar high about the bush, and the tūīs dart through the trees like fighter pilots.

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

Start at the Pukeatua Reserve to take in the beautiful views of the gulf. The views are west to Putiki Bay, Rangitoto Island and the distant city, and east over the rural end of Waiheke.

Then to get to the top of the Awaawaroa track, where you connect to Te Ara Hura trail, walk past Ecozip along the sealed road. Continue on to the end of the sealed road toward wooden gates.

The road splits into two driveways, keep to the left of the left gravel driveway, following the red Te Ara Hura trail markers.

Just past the gate look for the walking trail sign on the right side of the driveway and follow the sign to follow the track along the grass, parallel to the driveway.

700m – Enter the bush from the grassy paddock. The local airstrip is right alongside here so don’t be alarmed by low flying planes!

1.5km – After two bridged stream crossings, note the signs to Batch Winery on your right. If you need a refreshment, it’s about 5 minutes off the track, up through their vineyard and you’ll see the winery and restaurant buildings. Check their website for opening hours.

1.7km – Cross over a gravel road, and please scrub and spray your shoes at the Kauri Dieback Disease station.

There are 4 places where you skip and jump over a small stream. Caution is needed if it has been raining heavily.

1.85km – Pass through the gate to Whakanewha Regional Park. You are now on the Mamaku Track.

2.2km – Cascades Loop sign – follow the sign to do the little loop circuit, it’s only about 200m and well worth it to see the Cascades, which are pretty, even if it hasn’t been raining. Turn left when you exit the loop.

2.5km – Again you’ll cross a gravel road, this is Central Track. Cross diagonally towards your left, it’s well sign-posted, to find the red Te Ara Hura markers and continue on Tarata Track. (The stairs to the right go up to Batch Winery.)

2.8km – Turn left onto Nikau Track toward the beach.

4km – Cross the road here to get to the toilet and follow the Te Ara Hura markers toward the gravel car park (known as Sculpture car park).

From here, you’ll need to be pet-free to continue, as no dogs (or animals) are allowed beyond the carpark.

Go across the bridge to the beach, to spot the dotterels and other birds.

If you walk left along the beach 200m you’ll come to an amazing picnic spot under gnarly old Pōhutukawa trees.

Otherwise, turn right onto ‘Dotties Lane’ which runs parallel to the beach and keeps you safely away from the nesting dotterels and their fragile nests and eggs.

Continue on Dotties Lane, until the intersection with Cathedral Track. Veer left onto Upland Track (towards Upland Road) and follow this track as it winds upwards around the coast to Omiha Rd. Turn left onto Omiha Rd and follow the road down towards the intersection with Glen Brook and O’Brien Roads. Turn left and downhill to find the Omiha Memorial Hall about 300m along the road, which marks the end of this walk section.

The bus stop is just past the hall near the flagpole.