Mangawhai, on one page

Swim between the flags at Mangawhai Heads Beach, by the surf club on Wintle Street.

Volunteer lifeguards: weekends from 24 October 2026 to 29 March 2027. Paid lifeguards on weekdays from 14 December to 12 February.

The harbour side is calmer but unpatrolled, with strong currents by the channel. Check Safeswim after rain.

Emergency: call 111 and ask for the police.

Heads ocean beach: on a lead up to the first set of rocks, off-lead north of them.

No dogs, ever: the sandspit (wildlife refuge), the Cliffs Walkway and Te Arai beaches.

Set hours: Picnic Bay, the estuary beach and Lincoln Street are on a lead 10am to 5pm, off-lead outside those hours.

The interactive map shows the rules for any date and time.

Tara iti, New Zealand’s rarest breeding bird, nests on the spit from about September to February. Stay outside the fences, keep dogs away and take fish scraps home.

• Waipu Cove Trail Ride (Whangarei Silver Festival) · Fri, 9 Oct 2026, 10:00am - 1:00pm
• Spring Long Lunch with Auction & Band · Sat, 10 Oct 2026, 12:30 - 4:30pm
• Hill Climb Run · Sun, 18 Oct 2026, Arrive from 9am, start 10:00am
• Cave Concerts at the Milky Way Glowworm Cave · Sat, 31 Oct 2026, 6:00pm (+5 more)
• Fright Night Waipu · Sat, 31 Oct 2026, 4:30pm - 9:30pm
• The Good Shit at The Bunker · Sat, 7 Nov 2026, 8:00pm - 11:00pm

• Brewed As · Mangawhai Heads
• The Mangawhai Tavern · the village
• Bennetts Café · the village
• Greenview Cafe · Mangawhai Heads
• Gringas · Mangawhai Heads
• The Barbecue Hut · the village
• The Cow Shed · the village
• The Local - Kitchen + Bar · the village

Hours change with the season. Each venue’s page has its own published hours.

North: Waipu Caves, Waipu Cove, Langs Beach.

South: Pakiri Beach, Goat Island, Tāwharanui, Matakana, Te Arai.