Description
(North to South) |
From Tip Rd, walk 4 km south along the beach (at low tide) until you reach the Waipu River mouth. This river mouth can be deep, fast flowing and dangerous. It has very occasionally been crossed at the mouth at dead low tide only, and when the river flows were very low. At dead low tide there is also a section further in from the mouth which is wide and shallow. However, both these options are dangerous, and we do not recommend either. The best advice is:
1) Phone the Van Beek Family who live on the southern side on Tel: 09 432-0063. If they’re around, they’re happy to row people across. If they do row you across, a koha (donation) would be in order.
2) Exit the beach north of the river at Tip Road - there should be an orange marker in the dunes to mark this exit point, and follow the route notes for the following route section "Waipu Connection."
Caution: you need to make your own safety assessment based on amount of recent rain, speed of current, waves, your own confidence in water.
Once across the Waipu River, move to the west side of the estuary (i.e. inside the ocean-facing spit). Enjoy the birdlife and peaceful beauty of this Wildlife Sanctuary. The spit dunes are covered in purple flowers during autumn. Walk south for 3 kms to a “Walkway” sign indicating the 200m track across grass to Cove Rd (opposite Estuary Heights Rd, between 597-609 Waipu Cove Road, Waipu).
Roadwalk south to the junction with Cullen Rd. |
