The North Shore Coastal Walk covers 23 kms from Devonport to Long Bay, on the east coast of Auckland’s North Shore. The walk is part of Te Araroa, the track which runs down the entire length of New Zealand, and it mostly traces the edge of the coast, passing a number of city beaches and clifftops. Some sections are flooded at high tide, so check the tides before you start. There are plenty of places to stop along the way, and its easy to choose a section of the track for a shorter walk.
This week, we’re covering the section of the walk that runs from Takapuna Beach to Milford Beach and the Wairau Creek. This is the most rugged section of the walk, with narrow rocky sections, and it takes in an ancient fossilised forest at Fossil Point, the very pretty Thorne Bay, as well as three popular city beaches. At the end is a lovely park and the Waiau Marina at Milford. Allow a couple of hours return and bring your togs!
Takapuna Beach
Takapuna Beach is a long, popular city beach next to the North Shore suburb of Takapuna. It lies opposite Rangitoto island and is one of the most sheltered beaches in Auckland – swimming is safe and there is no surf to speak of. The beach is mostly fronted by houses, but towards the northern end there is a large grassed park and a fringe of several pohutukawa trees, as well as a boat ramp and parking area, and a very popular cafe.
From Takapuna Beach you can access the North Shore Coastal Walk and head either northward toward Fossil Point and Thorne Bay (as we have done), or south towards North Head and Devonport.
Fossil Point
Fossil Point is at the north end of Takapuna Beach, immediately below the campground. As you start along the North Shore Coastal Walk, you will see a small strip of sand and what looks like a pretty typical rocky point. But if you explore further as the tide goes out, you will see the fossil remains of an ancient kauri forest. The forest was buried by the Pupuke eruption (nearby Lake Pupuke is an ancient volcanic crater) about 150,000 years ago.
Subsequent erosion has left behind a series of small arches where the lava flowed over logs and fossilised tree stumps, some complete with tree rings and interior rock pools.
Fossil Point to Thorne Bay
The section of the North Shore Coastal Walk from Fossil Point to Thorne Bay is the most rugged section, as it undulates around a particularly rocky section of the coastline. The track runs immediately between the high water mark and the private properties that front the coast.
Along the way, you may spot further evidence of the Pupuke eruption. Shortly before Thorne Bay, there is another larger rocky outcrop which is part of Takapuna Reef. The numerous large rock pools as the tide goes out are interesting, so take your time to do a bit of exploring.
Thorne Bay
As you round Takapuna Reef, you will see the very cute Thorne Bay beach, which is only accessible via the coastal walk. It’s a small golden sand beach between the reef and a further stretch of rocky coastline, backed by houses. It’s a great place for a dip and to just relax, although it can get pretty busy on a nice day.
Thorne Bay to Milford Beach
The section of the North Shore Coastal Walk from Thorne Bay to Milford Beach is better formed than from Fossil Point to Thorne Bay, despite the rocky section of coast. It is mostly a sealed path, with one section that goes along a covered water pipe to a waste water pumping station on Black Rock. This is a larger rock outcrop with a great viewpoint.
The most interesting part of this section is the historical attempts at encroachment from some of the adjacent private properties to the water line. There are some examples of rock walls, which the track runs through, and even the remains of an attempt to wall off a swimming pool. It presumably filled with water at high tide!
Beyond Black Rock, the track rounds another rocky point to Milford Beach.
Milford Beach
Milford Beach is a lovely city beach, safe for swimming with generally little surf. It is mostly bounded by houses but at its north end there is a park, Milford Reserve, and cafe adjacent to the mouth of the Wairau Creek. You can also access the beach from several roads.
The southern to middle sections of the beach are sandy, and excellent for swimming and photo reflections at low tide, while the northern section has an unusual flat rocky platform that is exposed at low tide.
Wairau Creek
At first glance, Wairau Creek does not look very enticing, especially at low tide. But you can easily wade across it to continue around the rocky coast to nearby Castor Bay. If you cross during high tide, watch out for boats, as the stream is the access to the Milford marina.
The northern side of the creek is also marked by the first of the North Shore cliffs, which make up a significant portion of the coastline from this point on. Although the cliffs are not generally high, they are quite spectacular with many instances of mature pohutukawa living life out on the edge.
If you walk into the adjacent park, you will see a footbridge that crosses the creek, whose middle section swings up to give yachts access to the nearby marina. From the bridge it is a short walk up Beach Road to Castor Bay.
Castor Bay
Castor Bay is one of the smallest city beaches on the North Shore Coastal Walk, and it’s safe for swimming with a small grassed reserve next to the beach. At the northern end is Rahopara Point, an old pā site. The nearest cafe is near the corner of Beach Road and Castor Bay Road to the north.
You can access the Castor Bay beach along the coast from either direction, or from Beach Road. Note that you need to wade across Wairau Creek if you come from the south.
Lake Pupuke
Lake Pupuke in Takapuna is an extinct, 57 metre deep and 4.7 kilometre around volcanic cone filled with water, dating back about 190,000 years. Around 150,000 year ago, it was one of Pupuke’s eruptions which buried the kauri forest that now makes up Fossil Point. Pupuke is the only cone in the Auckland volcanic field to retain a lake, and it drains via creeks, including Wairau Creek, to the nearby coastline. It is used for a range of recreational activities and there are public access parks at the south and north end of the lake.
It’s easy to include Lake Pupuke on a visit to the North Shore Coastal Walk. Best access to the lake is along The Promenade from the north end of Takapuna Beach to Killarney Park at the south end of the lake. This is also the location of the historic Pump House, once an actual pump house and now used as a theatre. Access from Milford Beach is also straightforward. Take one of the connecting roads from the beach to Kitchener Road, then access either Sylvan Park on Sylvan Park Ave, or Henderson Park further to the east.
Another suggestion is to walk as far along the walkway as you want to, then travel back to the lake for sunset.
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