The Belmont Bay Walk is an easy 4km loop on Auckland’s North Shore, following the edge of Shoal Bay estuary past wetlands and reserve land before crossing the Bayswater Bridge back to the start. It’s mostly flat, dog-friendly, and one of the better birdwatching walks on the North Shore.
| Distance | 4 km |
| Time | 45 minutes |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Start | Corner Eversleigh Road & Rutherford Street, Belmont |
| Track | Sealed paths, suitable for prams and scooters |
| Dogs | On-leash |
| Facilities | Children’s playground |
| Parking | Free street parking on Eversleigh Road |
| Transport | Bus 814 to Belmont Shops |
| Best time | March for bar-tailed godwit sightings |
| Highlights | Bayswater Bridge, Shoal Bay estuary, Harbour Bridge views, birdlife |
This was my first time exploring the Belmont and Bayswater area, and I was genuinely surprised by how much there is packed into a short walk. Reserves, wetlands, estuary views, a historic pedestrian bridge, and the Harbour Bridge sitting against the Waitakere Ranges in the background. All done in under an hour.
Daily Bread on Eversleigh Road is a good reason to make this your morning walk. Excellent sourdough, great coffee, and outdoor seating out the back. Worth building your start time around their 7am opening.
The route is mostly flat and easy to follow. The standout is crossing the Bayswater Bridge, a pedestrian and cycle bridge built from recycled totara timber balustrades, completed in 2013. It’s a nice piece of craftsmanship that most people walk straight over without noticing.
The route takes you along the edge of Shoal Bay, a DOC-designated site of special wildlife interest and one of the better birdwatching spots on the North Shore. Keep an eye out for NZ dotterel, oystercatcher, pied stilt, white-faced heron, kingfisher, and pied shag. If you’re here in March, around 200 bar-tailed godwits stop over at Shoal Bay after flying non-stop from Alaska, feeding up before the return journey. It’s genuinely remarkable if you catch it.
Bayswater itself has an interesting history. Originally called O’Neill’s Point after early European settlers, it was renamed Bayswater in 1909 when the land was subdivided for residential development. The ferry from Bayswater to the Auckland CBD has been running since 1910.
Start from the corner of Eversleigh Road and Rutherford Street in Belmont. Free street parking is available along Eversleigh Road. You can also get there on the 814 bus (Akoranga Station to Devonport Wharf), stopping at Belmont Shops.
Daily Bread is at 43 Eversleigh Road, open 7 days from 7am to 3pm. Excellent sourdough, good coffee, outdoor seating, and a petanque court out the back.
Dogs welcome on-leash. There’s a children’s playground on route. Paths are sealed and suitable for prams and scooters.
