A 12 km loop from Raglan town out along the beach to Ngarunui, up to the clifftop, through Wainui Reserve, and back along the beach. Good views the whole way, a trig point, some interesting history along the route, and a proper half-day out. Route details courtesy of the Raglan Ramblers.
| Distance | 12 km loop |
| Time | 3 hours |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Start | Foot of Bow Street, Raglan |
| Parking | Raglan town centre |
| Dogs | Yes, on leash |
| Bikes | Yes |
| Wet Feet | Not at high tide |
| Elevation | 81 m |
| Toilets | At Rangipu and Ngarunui Beach |
| Mobile coverage | Yes |
| Cost | Free |
Start at the foot of Bow Street and follow the path left around the harbour. Cross the footbridge then turn right along the beach and continue about 5 km to the changing rooms at the foot of the cliff.
Take the sealed track up the hill to the surf club. Go up the steps to the right, cross a road, climb more steps to the 2002 sculptures, and follow the edge of the cliff to a car park. The sculptures represent the four compass points and were carved to provide work for unemployed people. Tai Meuli, who worked on them, has since become a well-known New Zealand stone carver.
Cross the stile and continue parallel with the coast. Follow the signs and stiles to the trig point at 81 m, with views towards Auckland on a clear day. Cross another stile into a pine forest and head down the hill to a sign on the left. Continue down, cross a valley, and keep to the top edge of the pine forest.
A gate on the left leads to a headland. Take the path right, down the hill to a stile. Don’t cross the stile, continue down the hill to reach the beach. Turn right and retrace the beach route back to Raglan.
For a detailed map of Wainui Reserve tracks, click here.
Don’t do this walk at high tide. The beach sections require low to mid tide to be passable. Check tide times before you go.
On the beach section keep an eye out for the Tattooed Rock about halfway along, and the 1942 Type 22 pillbox gradually sinking into the sand. A second pillbox further along is nearly hidden by sand. Both were built to protect gunners delaying a Japanese landing. The airfield further along was compulsorily purchased in 1941 and was at the centre of Maori land rights protests from the 1970s until part of it was returned in 1990.
The surf lookout that once sat on the clifftop has been removed before the sea took it.
Whāingaroa existed long before a settler village was renamed Raglan in 1858. Some of the buildings on Bow Street date from the 1900s. The walkway to the footbridge was cut out of the cliff in 1915/16, and a footbridge replaced a ferry in 1929, replaced again in 1963 and 2011.
In 1883 it was expected Raglan would become a major port. The Reserve was set aside to house a Pilot Station to look out for ships and guide them in. Poor links to the rest of Waikato and a difficult sand bar stopped the port developing. The Reserve was sold for housing in 1990, but local protest and assistance from Councillor Michael Hope, whose name is on a lookout in the Reserve, caused 140 hectares to be repurchased as a recreation reserve. Road access through the Reserve opened in 1996.
The first tourists drowned in the dangerous rips in 1922. A Surf Lifeguard Patrol started in 1972 and moved to its current building in 2002.
Bus 23 runs from Hamilton to Bow Street daily. In mid-summer and at weekends from Labour Day to Easter it continues to Manu Bay. You can shorten the walk by taking the Manu Bay bus to the Bible Camp and walking down to the beach from there, cutting the distance roughly in half. It’s also possible to boulder hop at low tide from Manu Bay, past the Tattooed Rock to the changing rooms and start the clifftop section from there.
Drinking water is available at the start of the walk. Toilets at Rangipu and Ngarunui Beach. Plenty of cafés and restaurants in Raglan on Bow Street.
