Amberley Beach, Wetlands Walkway to Waipara River Reserve

This is a quiet little location off SH1, and on a bluebird day, you can take in views right up the coast and back to Banks peninsula. The beach is composed of river cobble and looks very dramatic against the landscape when you look north towards the Waipara area, and the sound of the waves is amazing to hear on a rough day.

The Wetlands are slowly being converted into native bush by local land care groups that surround the local golf club, while the Waipara river mouth is an important reserve for native foods and is also in the process of regeneration by the Hurinui council.

If you know of any public toilets near the trail start or on the route, please login and then let us know so we can update this section.

Small reserve for parking (approx 7-9 vehicles) but there is room back down the road if it becomes crowded. Area is a bit isolated so lock car and keep valuables out of sight.

5 km

5 minutes

Yes

No

Easy.

Generally good.

Windproof jacket, Whistle, First aid kit, Extra food for emergencies, Cellphone, Map

There are camping grounds and public amenities on South Crescent, approx 200 meters from the car park, but no other taps or water access along the trail, so bring your own supplies.

This Track follows along the sea wall and beach, and can be prone to flooding after rain or super high tides.
The beach is composed of river cobble and shingle, and can be uneven, so 'ankles beware'.
The Wetlands section is a mixture of single path and board walks, further up the Waipara River reserve has many criss-crossing 4 x 4 and single tracks which can be spectacularly muddy and boggy after rain.

The beach is mainly river stones and shingle, so running along the single track at the edge of the pines is far more enjoyable. Watch out for the odd quad bike racing up and down, and as you pass the Amberley Golf course watch out for low flying golf balls as some of the bunkers follow close by the trail.