The Stillwater Beach Walk is an 8.5km out-and-back coastal walk on Auckland’s North Shore, following farmland, beach, and coastal bush along the Weiti and Okura River estuaries to the historic Dacre Cottage at Karepiro Bay. It’s one of the more rewarding walks in the region with real variety in terrain and scenery, though you need to plan around the tides.
| Distance | 8.5 km return |
| Time | 3 to 3.5 hours |
| Difficulty | Easy to moderate |
| Start | Duck Creek Road car park, Stillwater |
| Track | Farm track, beach, coastal bush, can be muddy after rain |
| Elevation | 20m |
| Dogs | No |
| Toilets | No at start, long drop at Dacre Cottage |
| Wet feet | Likely, tide-dependent |
| Parking | Free at Duck Creek Road car park |
| Driving | From Auckland CBD, take SH1 north, turn right onto East Coast Road, then right onto Spur Road, left onto Duck Creek Road. About 35.5km from downtown Auckland. |
| Highlights | Dacre Cottage, Karepiro Bay, nikau and coastal bush, estuary birdlife |
Important: The southern Haigh Road entrance to this walk is closed due to kauri dieback. The Stillwater end is open. Stick to the marked track and use cleaning stations to protect the kauri.
The first 20 minutes takes you across rough farmland, keep to the farm track and expect mud after rain. Just before the beach there’s a fork. The coastal route on the left hugs the shore and is only passable at low tide. The hill route on the right is the better choice regardless of tide, climbing through dense coastal bush, nikau palms, tree ferns and regenerating pohutukawa. It’s stunning.
I took the hill route and loved it. There’s a good set of wooden steps up the ridge and once you crest the top the bush gets thick and green. Fantails followed me through the whole section, and I caught a couple of kererū cruising the canopy looking for dinner. The descent brings you down to Karepiro Bay and Dacre Cottage at around the 45-minute mark.
Dacre Cottage is the highlight for me. Built in 1863 by Henry Dacre, son of retired sea captain Ranulf Dacre who bought the 8000-hectare Weiti block in 1848, the brick cottage was restored in 1984 and sits alone on a sandy beach with a red barn alongside it. It’s a great picnic spot. The committee also manages overnight camping here, $25 per night for groups of up to 12, with tent sites, water, long drop loos and a BBQ. Worth knowing if you want to make a night of it.
From Dacre Cottage, follow the red-topped posts north. The track continues along the Weiti River estuary through the Okura River catchment, with side tracks leading down to the river flats. At low tide you can walk the beach the whole way back. I walked another 20 minutes north to a small sandbar jutting into the estuary, a good spot to stop for a coffee before turning around.
This walk is strongly tide-dependent. At high tide the first coastal section is impassable and you’ll need to take the hill route. At low tide you can walk the beach both ways, which is quicker on the return. The beach ranges from firm sand near the bank to soft silty mud further out, stick close to the bank for easier going. The closer you walk to the bank the harder the sand will be, unless you’d like to feel the mud ooze through your toes.
Check the Dacre Cottage website for more info.
Karepiro Bay and Stillwater are home to NZ dotterel and oystercatcher populations. From about mid-September nesting season begins, stick to the track and stay well away from birds. Take care on the beach to avoid crushing well-camouflaged eggs. Stilts and other wading birds are regulars along the estuary edge year-round.
From Auckland CBD take SH1 north over the Harbour Bridge, continue to the East Coast Road turnoff, about 30km from the bridge. Turn right onto East Coast Road, then right onto Spur Road, then left onto Duck Creek Road. The car park is at the road end. Allow around 45 minutes from the CBD.
No dogs permitted. No toilets at the start, there’s a long drop at Dacre Cottage. Mobile coverage is generally good. The track crosses private farmland so leave gates as you find them and keep clear of stock.
