Last updated November 2026
Marsden Point is the flat sand spit that forms the southern head of the Whangārei Harbour entrance, at the northern end of Bream Bay. The point itself is industrial: the former oil refinery, now Channel Infrastructure’s fuel import terminal, covers it, with Northport just up the channel, and their jetty and wharves are not open to the public.
The open beach below the terminal is, and you can walk along the sand from the end of Mair Road to fish where the harbour channel meets the bay.
At a Glance
- Location
- Beach in front of the Channel Infrastructure terminal, from the end of Mair Road north-east to the point
- Water
- Whangārei Harbour entrance and northern Bream Bay (sea)
- Main species
- Snapper and kahawai
- Best time
- Moving water around the tide changes
- Suits
- Surfcasters happy to walk about 1.5 km each way on sand
- Getting there
- Park at the end of Mair Road, beside Poupouwhenua Scenic Reserve, and walk the beach north-east
- Not public
- The Marsden Point Marine Terminal jetty, the terminal site and Northport’s wharves
- Tide port
- Marsden Point (LINZ standard port)
- Rules
- MPI Auckland and Kermadec (east coast); all shellfish closed on Marsden Bank and Mair Bank
- Cost
- Free
- Low 2:01 am 0.6 m
- High 8:24 am 2.6 m
- Low 2:22 pm 0.7 m
- High 8:31 pm 2.5 m
Best times today: around 2:01 am, 8:24 am, 2:22 pm and 8:31 pm (2 hours either side of each tide change), and around 1:10 am and 12:46 pm (moon overhead and underfoot).
Moving water around the tide changes usually fishes best. Full 7-day Whangārei tides ›
Predictions only; actual tides vary with weather.
What You'll Find Here
Marsden Point is a broad, flat sand spit. Across the channel on the northern head rise the forested peaks around Manaia, and to the south the beach runs on for kilometres down Bream Bay.
The government bought land on the point in the 1850s for a town called Marsden, meant to be the district’s commercial centre, but settlement moved to Whangārei with the kauri gum trade.
New Zealand’s only oil refinery opened on the tip of the point in 1964, with its jetty out into the harbour entrance channel.
Refining stopped in 2022, when Refining NZ became Channel Infrastructure and the site was converted into a fuel import terminal. Northport, Northland’s main cargo port, opened further up the channel in 2002. The tangata whenua of this coast are Patuharakeke.
Off the point lie Marsden Bank and Mair Bank, sand banks that once held large pipi beds. Patuharakeke kaitiaki have monitored the banks since 2015, and their surveys show the pipi beds have not recovered and kūtai (green-lipped mussels) are still well below harvestable numbers, which is why the banks are closed to shellfish gathering.
How to Fish Marsden Point
Where to stand
From the end of Mair Road a short track leads through to the beach. Walk north-east along the sand, with the terminal’s tree line on your left, towards the point, where the beach turns into the harbour beside the jetty.
Off the tip the sand widens out into Mair Bank, and the whole way from Mair Road to the point is open beach. Stay on the beach below the tree line and well clear of the jetty and anything fenced.
Read the water
This is where the harbour drains in and out of Bream Bay, so the tide runs hard past the point and along the edge of the bank.
The main shipping channel, marked by port-hand buoys, runs just off Mair Bank. Aim for the edges where the bank drops into the channel, and fish the hours either side of a tide change rather than the slack.
What to catch and what to use
- Snapper: local anglers report a couple of holes near the jetty that hold snapper. Cast fresh bait towards the deeper water from the beach, never from the jetty.
- Kahawai: they run along the beach from the point down Bream Bay when they are in. Lures cast across the current are worth trying when they are about.
- Kingfish: DOC lists kingfish among the fish of Whangārei Harbour. The entrance is their way in and out of the harbour, so a heavier rod is worth having if you see bait being chased.
What to bring
Everything you need for a session on open sand: a sand spike, sinkers heavy enough to hold in the current, and water. Buy bait in Ruakākā or Whangārei before you come.
Getting There and Facilities
- Access: Mair Road ends at the beach south of the terminal, beside Poupouwhenua Scenic Reserve. It is about 1.5 km along the sand to the point.
- Another way in: the car park at the end of Station East Road in Ruakākā, by the NIWA research station, also leads onto the beach; the terminal is about 2 km north along the sand.
- Facilities: bring what you need. The nearest cafés and shops are in Ruakākā and at Marsden Cove Marina.
- Inside the harbour: for sheltered harbour fishing and boat ramps a few kilometres west, see our One Tree Point fishing guide.
Rules and Safety
- The harbour entrance and Bream Bay fall under MPI’s Auckland and Kermadec rules, on the east coast side where east and west limits differ. Sea fishing needs no licence.
- Shellfish closure: Marsden Bank and Mair Bank, from the base of the terminal jetty out to the channel buoys and back to the beach, are closed to taking all shellfish from 29 June 2026 to 28 June 2028. Pipi and scallops there are closed separately. Fishing with rod and line is not affected, but do not gather bait shellfish on the banks.
- Port and terminal: the jetty, the terminal and Northport are working industrial sites. Keep off them and away from fences and signs, and never fish from the jetty.
- Currents and ships: the tide runs strongly past the point and ships pass close in the channel. Do not wade out onto the bank on a rising tide, and keep well back when a ship goes by.
- Dogs: dogs can be off-leash on the beach from the Mair Road access south. Check Whangārei District Council’s dog rules for the summer time limits.
Official Sources for Marsden Point
MPI Auckland and Kermadec fishing rules: current size limits, daily limits and closures for the area.
MPI: Marsden Bank and Mair Bank shellfish closure: the closure area, dates and background.
Whangārei District Council: Dogs on beaches: dog rules for the Bream Bay beaches.
Common Questions
Can you fish at Marsden Point?
Yes, from the public beach. Walk in from the end of Mair Road and fish from the sand. The terminal jetty and Northport’s wharves are not open to the public.
What can you catch at Marsden Point?
Snapper and kahawai are the main fish reported from the beach near the point. Kingfish move through the harbour entrance too.
Where do I park?
At the end of Mair Road, beside Poupouwhenua Scenic Reserve. It is about 1.5 km along the beach to the point.
Can I collect pipi at Marsden Point?
No. Marsden Bank and Mair Bank are closed to all shellfish gathering until 28 June 2028, and pipi there are closed separately.
Do I need a fishing licence?
Not for sea fishing. MPI’s Auckland and Kermadec limits still apply to every fish you keep, so check them before you go.
Is the refinery still running?
No. Refining stopped in 2022 and the site is now Channel Infrastructure’s fuel import terminal. It is still a secure industrial site.
How far is the walk to the point?
About 1.5 km along the sand from the end of Mair Road, or about 2 km from the Station East Road car park in Ruakākā to the terminal.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Sources and data notes 1
- Tides today: Tide predictions: LINZ (CC BY 3.0 NZ).