Last updated October 2026
Smugglers Bay is a small white-sand bay at Whangārei Heads, inside Bream Head Scenic Reserve, between Busby Head and the bush-covered slopes running up to Bream Head. No road reaches it.
You park at the end of Urquharts Bay Road and walk in over a farmland hill, about 15 to 20 minutes each way, carrying everything you need. Anglers fish from the rocks at either end of the beach, in clear water that faces out to sea just south of the harbour entrance.
At a Glance
- Location
- Bream Head Scenic Reserve, Whangārei Heads; walk in from the Urquharts Bay Road car park
- Water
- Open coast just south of the Whangārei Harbour entrance (sea)
- Main species
- Kingfish off the rocks of this coast; ask in Whangārei what else is about
- Best time
- Calm, settled days with little swell
- Suits
- Fit walkers carrying light gear; keep children well back from the rock edges
- Getting there
- About 40 minutes’ drive from Whangārei city, then a 15 to 20 minute walk
- Facilities
- None at the beach; carry everything in and out
- Dogs
- Not allowed
- Tide port
- Marsden Point (LINZ standard port)
- Cost
- Free
- Low 1:07 am 0.7 m
- High 7:23 am 2.5 m
- Low 1:26 pm 0.7 m
- High 7:39 pm 2.6 m
Best times today: around 1:07 am, 7:23 am, 1:26 pm and 7:39 pm (2 hours either side of each tide change), and around 12:25 am and 12:00 pm (moon overhead and underfoot).
Moving water around the tide changes usually fishes best. Full 7-day Whangārei tides ›
Tide predictions: LINZ (CC BY 3.0 NZ). Predictions only; actual tides vary with weather.
What You'll Find Here
The bay is short and steep-sided, with mature pōhutukawa shading the back of the sand. Seen from above, a low rocky spur splits the beach into two curves, and on the eastern side the shore turns to rock and boulders under the bush, heading out towards Bream Head. The western end backs onto Busby Head, which separates Smugglers Bay from Urquharts Bay on the harbour side.
This is old ground. DOC records a defensive pā on Busby Head, with house terraces, food storage pits and middens across the headland. The whole Bream Head area is wāhi tapu, of special significance to Ngātiwai, and visitors are asked to keep to the marked tracks.
Much later, during the Second World War, a six-inch naval gun was set up at Home Point to guard against invasion, and its emplacement still sits beside the loop track.
The reserve is home to brown kiwi and other protected species. The Te Whara / Bream Head Conservation Trust, DOC, local iwi and the community are restoring it with replanting and weed and pest control, so you will pass traps along the way. Leave them alone.
How to Fish Smugglers Bay
Where to fish
Fish from the rocks at either end of the beach. The eastern side gives the most rock to work with, running out under the bush from the end of the sand.
Choose a ledge that sits well above the wash, has a clear way back to the beach, and lets you land a fish without climbing down to the water. DOC warns that the rocky outcrops here have steep drop-offs.
The water in the bay is very clear and people come to snorkel, so on fine summer days cast away from anyone in the water.
What to catch and what to use
- Kingfish: anglers who fish this coast report kingfish off the rocks around Urquharts Bay and Bream Head, and Smugglers Bay sits between the two. Foaming water and kelp around rocky headlands are classic kingfish ground. A hooked kingfish heads straight for the reef, so bring heavier gear than you would use on a beach.
- Other fish: ask at a tackle shop in Whangārei what has been caught around the Heads recently, and carry some bait as well as lures.
What to bring
Pack light, because everything goes over the hill on your back and comes out the same way. Wear shoes that grip on wet rock, take water and a lifejacket, and bring a bag for your rubbish and old line.
Getting There and Facilities
- Driving: follow Whangārei Heads Road to Urquharts Bay Road and park at the car park at its end, about 40 minutes from Whangārei city.
- Direct walk: the short route goes over a gentle farmland hill and takes about 15 to 20 minutes one way.
- Loop walk: the Smugglers Bay Loop Track goes around Busby Head past the Home Point gun emplacement and back, about 1.5 to 2 hours. A short side trip to the end of Busby Head is worth it.
- On the track: cattle graze the farmland and farm vehicles may be working. Watch for tree roots. Mountain biking is not allowed.
- Boardwalk: the boardwalk at Smugglers Bay was closed because of storm damage when we checked in October 2026. The track is open; stay off the closed boardwalk.
- Facilities: there are none at the beach, so bring water and take all rubbish home.
- Harbour side: for fishing the bay beside the car park and launching a boat, see our Urquharts Bay fishing guide.
- More about the bay: for swimming, snorkelling and the walk itself, see our Smugglers Bay guide.
Rules and Safety
- Sea fishing here follows MPI’s Auckland and Kermadec rules, and Whangārei Heads is in Auckland East, where some limits differ from the west coast. No licence is needed.
- Smugglers Bay is not in the Whangārei Harbour Marine Reserve. The reserve’s nearest section is Motukaroro (Passage Island) off Reotahi, further up the harbour, where nothing may be taken.
- Rocks: keep watching the sea while you fish. A big wave can knock you off a ledge, and wet clothes drag you down. Stay off the rocks when a swell is running, and wear a lifejacket.
- Children: DOC asks that children be well supervised near the steep drop-offs on the outcrops.
- Dogs: not allowed. Bream Head Scenic Reserve is kiwi habitat, and the Whangārei District Council bans dogs at all times on the coast from the Urquharts Bay car park around the headland to the southern end of Ocean Beach.
- Stay on the marked tracks: the area is wāhi tapu.
Find Out More
DOC: Smugglers Bay Loop Track: the walk in from Urquharts Bay, track times and warnings.
MPI Auckland and Kermadec fishing rules: what you can keep, and any closures, at Whangārei Heads.
Whangārei District Council: Bream Head Scenic Reserve: access, closures and reserve rules.
Smugglers Bay: Common Questions
Where is Smugglers Bay?
At Whangārei Heads, inside Bream Head Scenic Reserve, just over the hill from the car park at the end of Urquharts Bay Road.
How long is the walk to Smugglers Bay?
About 15 to 20 minutes each way on the direct route over the farmland hill. The loop around Busby Head takes about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Where do you fish at Smugglers Bay?
From the rocks at either end of the beach. The eastern side has the most rock. Pick a ledge well above the wash with an easy way back to the sand.
What can you catch at Smugglers Bay?
Kingfish are caught off the rocks along this part of the Heads. For other species, a Whangārei tackle shop can tell you what the Heads have been producing.
Is Smugglers Bay in a marine reserve?
No. The nearest part of the Whangārei Harbour Marine Reserve is at Motukaroro (Passage Island) off Reotahi, further up the harbour.
Can I take my dog?
No. Dogs are banned in Bream Head Scenic Reserve and on this stretch of coast at all times.
Are there toilets at Smugglers Bay?
No. There are no facilities at the beach, so carry in water and carry out your rubbish.
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