Duder Regional Park Coastal Loop is a scenic 6.5km walking track on Auckland’s Whakakaiwhara Peninsula. The moderate trail follows coastal cliffs offering panoramic Hauraki Gulf views, passes farmland and native bush, and takes approximately 2-3 hours. Located 45 minutes from Auckland CBD, it features beaches, historic sites, and diverse wildlife including seabirds.
Find more walks in this area at our East Auckland walks guide.
By Car: From Auckland CBD take the Southern Motorway (SH1) south, exit at Papakura and follow East Street. Continue onto Clevedon-Kawakawa Road through Clevedon village. Turn right onto Whitford-Maraetai Road then left onto Duder Beach Road. The park entrance is clearly signposted on your right. Journey time is approximately 45 minutes from central Auckland.
Parking: Free car park at the entrance with space for about 30 vehicles. Can get busy on sunny weekends so arrive before 9am if possible. No overflow parking available.
Public Transport: Not really accessible by public transport. The nearest bus stops are in Clevedon village, still about 5km away from the park entrance.
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Here’s something most visitors miss: the best light for photography is actually late afternoon rather than morning. The western sun illuminates Rangitoto and the inner gulf islands beautifully, and you’ll often catch stunning golden hour colours. Most people do this walk in the morning and completely miss the magic.
The Whakakaiwhara Peninsula has been farmed for over 150 years, and the Auckland Council purchased it specifically to protect the coastal landscape. You’re walking through working farmland, which means you’ll share the track with curious sheep and occasionally cattle. They’re harmless but keep a respectful distance and don’t feed them.
The “moderate” grading is accurate but worth unpacking. You’ve got about 200 metres of cumulative elevation gain, which doesn’t sound like much until you’re halfway up one of those deceptively steep coastal climbs. The track undulates constantly – just when your legs recover from one hill, another appears.
After rain the clay sections near Wharekawa Bay turn into slippery skating rinks. Gumboots aren’t overkill if it’s been wet in the previous few days. The exposed clifftop sections also lack shade, so in summer you’re getting full sun for most of the walk.
The coastal cliffs host breeding colonies of white-fronted terns and spotted shags. Between September and February you’ll hear them before you see them – quite the cacophony. Variable oystercatchers patrol the rocky shoreline, and if you’re lucky you might spot a New Zealand dotterel (they’re endangered so don’t approach nesting areas).
In the regenerating bush sections listen for tui, fantails and grey warblers. The farm paddocks attract harrier hawks riding the thermals, and I’ve seen reports of short-tailed bats in the area though I’ve never spotted one myself.
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Autumn (March to May) offers the most reliable weather with fewer howling winds than spring. Summer gets hot with minimal shade, though the coastal breezes help. Winter can be spectacular on clear days but expect mud and potentially closed sections if stock damage is being repaired.
Avoid weekends during school holidays unless you enjoy company – this place has been discovered by Instagram and can feel surprisingly busy. Weekday mornings remain relatively quiet.
If you enjoy this coastal walking style, the Shakespear Regional Park walk offers similar dramatic coastline about 40 minutes north. The Lookout Track at Shakespear Regional Park is shorter but packs in excellent gulf views, while the Heritage Trail at Shakespear Regional Park combines history with coastal scenery.
For something more challenging, the Tawharanui Ridge Walk delivers bigger hills and even more isolated beaches. The Tawharanui Beach Walk at low tide is an easier alternative with similar coastal vibes.
The cliff edges aren’t fenced and some sections have significant drops. Keep well back from the edge, especially in strong winds. The clay and grass combination becomes genuinely treacherous when wet – several sections have steep drop-offs on one side.
Bulls are occasionally present in the paddocks. If you see warning signs about bulls in the area, take them seriously and consider returning another day. Electric fences cross the track in a few places – there are proper crossing points, use them.
Let someone know your plans before you go. Mobile coverage is unreliable so don’t depend on being able to call for help. Carry a basic first aid kit.
Yes, Wharekawa Bay halfway around the loop has beach access suitable for swimming at low to mid tide. The water can be murky after rain and there are no lifeguards, so swim at your own risk. The main entrance area also has a small beach.
No, the Coastal Loop is walking only. Mountain bikes are permitted on some other tracks in the park but not the main coastal circuit.
It’s genuinely moderate. Someone with reasonable fitness who walks occasionally will manage fine but might feel it the next day. The hills are short but steep in places. Not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs due to terrain and gates.
No dogs are allowed in Duder Regional Park at any time, even on leads. This protects ground-nesting birds and prevents issues with farm animals.
Patchy at best. You might get signal at the car park and occasionally on high points, but expect to be offline for most of the walk. Download maps beforehand if you need them.
Walk out to the first major viewpoint and back – takes about 40 minutes return and gives you a taste of the coastal scenery without committing to the full loop.
Only at the main entrance near the car park. There are no facilities once you’re on the loop itself, so plan accordingly.
No, Duder Regional Park is day-use only. Gates close at sunset and there are no camping facilities. The nearest campgrounds are in Clevedon or Maraetai.
Last weekend I finally checked out the Coastal Loop at Duder Regional Park, and honestly, the views alone made the drive worth it. The track took me along these dramatic cliff edges with the Hauraki Gulf stretching out below – on a clear day you can see right across to Waiheke and Coromandel.
I’m not going to lie, some of those hills got my legs burning pretty good. There’s a decent amount of up and down, especially if you do the full loop. But every time I thought about turning back, I’d round another corner and there’d be another stunning coastal vista or a glimpse of Rangitoto poking up through the haze.
What surprised me most was how few people were there. I passed maybe five other walkers the whole time, which felt pretty special for somewhere so close to Auckland. The farm animals scattered around added this nice rural touch – very peaceful watching sheep graze with that incredible backdrop.
The wind can be pretty intense up on those exposed sections, so I’d definitely recommend a windbreaker even if it looks calm when you arrive. And wear proper walking shoes – parts of the track get muddy and uneven.
Took me about two and a half hours at a leisurely pace with plenty of photo stops. Perfect way to spend a Sunday morning.
