Waitawa Regional Park, East Auckland
If you’ve been told the Kōtare Loop has disappeared, don’t worry, the trail hasn’t gone anywhere, but its name has. In 2025, Auckland Council updated the park’s signage to simplify the network. The yellow markers are gone, but the path remains one of the best ways to experience the park’s mix of regenerating podocarp forest and vibrant wetlands.
Quick Fact
- Distance: Approximately 3.2km loop.
- Time: 1 to 2 hours (leave extra time for birdwatching!).
- Difficulty: Moderate. You’ll find a few steady climbs and plenty of “natural” terrain like tree roots.
- Surface: Mostly hard-packed clay. It’s perfect in summer but can become a slippery “skating rink” of mud after a winter downpour.
Navigation: How to Find the Route in 2026
Since you won’t find “Kōtare Loop” on the new park maps or the latest printed leaflets, here is how you recreate the walk using the new color-coded system:
1. The Start: Park at the Mātaitai Bay carpark (at the very end of the internal park road). Walk toward the information board and the toilet block.
2. Heading Inland: Start on the Pīwakawaka Loop (Blue Markers). This takes you through a beautiful nikau grove and into the regenerating forest.
3. The Valley Connection: After about 15–20 minutes, you’ll reach a junction for the Valley Track. Switch your focus to the Green Markers (Kererū Loop). This is the heart of the old Kōtare route.
4. The Wetland Walk: Follow the Green markers through the low-lying valley. This is where you’ll find the wooden footbridges and the best birdwatching spots.
5. The Return: The track will eventually loop back toward the coastline. Re-join the Blue Markers to follow the shoreline of Waitawa Bay back to the carpark.
Nature & Wildlife: Spotting the Kōtare
The walk was originally named after the Sacred Kingfisher (Kōtare), and they are still the stars of the show here.
- Where to look: Scan the fence posts and dead branches overhanging the wetland streams. They love to sit perfectly still before diving for food.
- What to listen for: Listen for a sharp, staccato “kee-kee-kee” call.
- Other residents: You are almost guaranteed to see Fantails (Pīwakawaka) flitting around your feet to catch insects you disturb, and Tūī are a constant presence in the canopy above.
If you’ve enjoyed picking out kōtare and tūī along the trail, the Tikapa Moana: Whales, Dolphins and Islands Cruise gives you a different kind of wildlife watching to round out the day.
Essential Tips for Your Visit
Gate Times & Access
Waitawa uses automatic gates that operate on a timer. You don’t want to get your car locked in!
- Summer (Daylight Savings): 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM.
- Winter: 6:00 AM – 7:00 PM.
- No Public Transport: There are no buses to this area. The entrance is at 1168 Clevedon-Kawakawa Road, and it’s a 50-minute drive from Auckland CBD.
The “Dog Rules” (Very Important!)
Waitawa is a working farm with sheep and cattle, so rules are strictly enforced:
- Spring Ban: Dogs are prohibited from July 1st to December 1st for lambing and calving.
- On-Leash Only: Outside of those dates, dogs must be on a leash at all times.
- New 2026 Limit: A single person can walk a maximum of four dogs at once.
Kauri Protection
Help protect our native giants! Ensure your shoes are scrubbed completely clean of any soil before you enter the park to prevent the spread of Kauri Dieback disease.
Why we love this walk
Waitawa feels like a secret. Even though you’re only a short drive from the shopping centers of East Auckland, the moment you drop into the wetland valley, the city noise disappears. It’s a rare chance to see “regeneration in action”—this area was farmland as recently as 2004, and seeing the native forest return so strongly is genuinely inspiring.
If today’s dose of native bush and birdlife has you wanting more, the Rotoroa Island Ferry gets you out onto the water for another day of forest and wildlife watching.
