Last updated November 2026
The Motukiore Island Walk follows the shoreline of Parua Bay on Whangārei Heads and crosses a sandspit to Motukiore Island, a small DOC recreation reserve with a well-preserved Māori pā. DOC grades the walk easy to intermediate and allows about 2 hours 30 minutes for the 5 km return walk.
The crossing to the island is walkable only at low tide, up to 2 hours either side, so check tide times before you set off. The track begins off Whangārei Heads Road just past the Pines Golf Course, and DOC describes it as a great summer family outing.
Track Facts
Tracks can close at short notice for slips, storm damage or maintenance. Check DOC's current alerts for Motukiore Island Walk on the day you walk.
Current alerts on DOC
Practical Information
- Start
- Off Whangārei Heads Road, just past the Pines Golf Course; DOC notes a car park 200 m beyond the track start
- Distance from the city
- About 12 km from Whangārei (DOC gives 13 km east of Whangārei)
- Walking time
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- Track length
- 5 km return
- Grade
- Easy to intermediate
- Tides
- Sandspit crossing at low tide only, up to 2 hours either side of low tide
- Dogs
- No dogs
- Managed by
- Department of Conservation
- Status
- Open when checked on 18 October 2026. Check DOC before you go.
- Track markers
- On marked bush tracks, DOC and most councils use orange triangles for the walking route. Triangles or tape in other colours, usually pink or blue, mark pest-control lines and traps. They can lead off the track, so don’t follow them.
About Motukiore Island Walk
The walk hugs the edge of Whangārei Harbour, threading through mangroves with the Pines golf course fairways on one side and the water on the other. DOC says to be ready for wet feet on this stretch.
Motukiore Island sits in Parua Bay, about 400 m east of the end of Manganese Point. It is a 5 ha recreation reserve ringed by mature pōhutukawa, and DOC notes plentiful birdlife, with terns and oystercatchers frequent visitors. Once you are across the sandspit you can explore the island freely.
Track marking is limited because of the coastal setting, but the island stays in sight the whole way. Keep to the coastline and respect the private property along the route.
DOC calls the walk a great summer family outing, and the island has a long history to explore.
History on the Island
The southern end of the island holds an impressive terraced pā. DOC describes a series of levelled earthen terraces rising to a central platform, or tihi, at the summit, with two defensive ditch and bank features still visible on the ridge below.
A thick layer of midden around the foreshore shows how important fish and shellfish were to the people who lived here.
European activity began in 1839, when Gilbert Mair (Senior) set up a short-lived pit-sawing venture on the island. It was then farmed for about 130 years, and a homestead was built at the northern end around 1900. The Crown bought the island in 1974 and DOC has managed it since 1987.
Planning Around the Tide
The sandspit can only be crossed up to 2 hours either side of low tide. Look up the tide times before you leave home and plan your time on the island so you are back across the spit within that window. Check DOC before you go, and tell someone your plans.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the Motukiore Island Walk take?
DOC allows about 2 hours 30 minutes.
When can I cross to Motukiore Island?
Only at low tide. DOC says the sandspit can be crossed up to 2 hours either side of low tide.
Where does the walk start?
Off Whangārei Heads Road just past the Pines Golf Course. DOC notes a car park 200 m beyond the track start.
Are dogs allowed?
No. DOC lists the walk as no dogs.
How hard is it?
DOC grades it easy to intermediate, and you should expect wet feet through the mangroves.
What is there to see on the island?
A terraced Māori pā at the southern end, the site of a historic homestead at the northern end, pōhutukawa and coastal birds.
Is the track well marked?
Marking is limited because of the coastal setting, but the island is visible the whole way. Stay along the coastline.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Related links 2
- Department of Conservation: Motukiore Island Walk: track information, alerts and status. Track information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- LINZ tide predictions: official tide times for New Zealand ports, including Whangārei.
Sources and data notes 1
- Track Facts: Track facts and line: Crown Copyright, Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026, CC BY 4.0. Elevation: LINZ (LiDAR), CC BY 4.0.