Hobson Bay Circuit

9 km • 1 hour 45 minutes • Easy • We made the most of today’s fine weather and walked the circumference of Hobson Bay.

22 October 2023
Walked by: Helen Wenley

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Many of our walks touch on parts of the Hobson Bay Walkway, but to do the full circuit, we needed a low tide (check the tides here).

About half the route is along the busy roads until we climb the ridge via Pt Resolution Bridge beside the Parnell Baths.

This leads to the quiet streets of Parnell and then back down again to the Bay and along the Freda Kirkwood Walkway.

Quick facts about this walk

Walk time:	approx. 1 hour 45 minutes
Distance:	about 9 kms
Start:	Orakei Train Station.
Track:	Mostly level paths, with some steep paths and steps.
Difficulty:	Suitable for most ages and levels of fitness and mobility, designed with flat shoes or running shoes in mind. Can be muddy on the foreshore. LOW TIDE access only.
Highlights:	Boats, trains, beautiful houses, birds, boardwalks, mangroves.
FREE Map:	Download your FREE map of this walk

The Hobbiton Movie Set Day Tour - From Auckland

The painting above depicts what can be seen along the route, there is plenty to look at – trains, boats, sheds, birds, mangroves, boardwalks, and beautiful houses; with views of Rangitoto, North Head and Mount Victoria.

We started this walk from Orakei Train Station, but you can choose your own start point at a convenient place along the circular 9 km route.

Photos from my walk along the Hobson Bay Circuit

Comments on Hobson Bay Circuit

Eric Richards

Younger families might prefer a loop of Orakei Basin as there is only the end of a no-exit road to cross. However there are a few steep moments either side of Lucerne Road this could be unsuitable for parents to push a pram with their child in it. This walk can easy and quickly be walked with the help of a new wooden walkway at the no exit part of Lucerne Road to Meadowbank Road also using a walkway on the basin side running along side the eastern line railway tracks. There is no worry about having to sight see over mad as the tide is held in 24/7 by a gate lock.

Helen

Thanks for your comments Eric. We have documented all that in this walk Orakei Basin Walkway extended.

Joy Foley

Could someone advise whether there is now a track down onto Hobson walkway from the parkland adjoining Parnell baths which would avoid walking along the road to connect much further along (assuming a reasonably low tide)
Thanks, Joy

Helen

Hi Joy,
We walked around that area recently and there was no connecting path from the Parnell Baths to the Freda Kirkwood Walkway along Hobson Bay.
There are plans for the future, however nothing has been don so far.
Regards,
Helen

Bethny Uptegrove

It’s now Feb 2018, and plans and maintenance on the Hobson Bay walkway seem to have abandoned. A downed tree across the new board walk was only partially cut back, there are no signs of a stairway to the Parnell Baths, at mid tide I had to turn around a short way beyond Awatea Rd because of the inaccessibility of the eastern end of the walkway. I’m so sad because this would be such a wonderful walkway if it were to be upgraded to a full loop around the bay.