Mangawhai Cliff Walk, New Zealand

25th February 2020

I must put this straight out there…this was one of my favourite walks in New Zealand!  If you can picture rolling turquoise waves; expansive white sandy beach views; sparkling rock pools; and a relatively easy path, then you are seeing the Mangawhai Cliff Walk.

We parked at Kaipara District Council car park, at the end of Wintle Street, which sits next to the popular surfing Mangawhai Heads beach, where there are toilets and showers (like the majority of the popular NZ beaches). 

To start the walk, you begin by walking North along the sandy beach for around 0.7 miles.  Although very tempted to take off my trainers to feel the sandy grains between my toes, I resisted as we had a 5.1 mile walk ahead of us, and I can’t bare having the risk of a blister!

After the flat saunter along the sand, the path peels left and takes you sharply up to just over 300ft, whereby you join the rugged coastal trail.  This cliff-top path gently undulates for around 1.5 miles offering spectacular coastal views along the way.  From up here, I spied several spots that I wanted to swim in once we were back at sea level.

After around 2.6 miles, you drop back down to sea level, via well maintained steps, and you’ll come across a naturally formed archway.  Once you are through here you then navigate your way back South across rock pools, rocky coves and more sandy beaches.  We stopped off for a swim in an empty, sandy cove before walking the remaining mile back to the end of the trail. 

NOTE – Check the tides if you want to do this walk as a loop as the beach section at the northern end is only possible at low tide (90 minutes either side of high tide will prevent you from doing it as a loop).