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New Zealand Walks: Onekawa Te Mawhai Region
Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park
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Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park
Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park
Ohiwa Harbour, in the Bay of Plenty, is an ancestral taonga of significance to many Maori groups – Ngati Awa, Upokorehe, Whakatohea, and By Barbz Lowther Tuhoe. For many years it was known as a food basket, with plentiful fish to be caught and shellfish to be gathered.
During the 1870’s a hotel, post office,school, wharf and some houses were built on the end of the sand spit, and a ferry service took people over to Ohope; but by 1915, the sea began to wash all this away. In the 1960’s more sections were offered for sale, but once again the sea moved in , and in 1978, 56 metres was carved from the foreshore, leaving only a few houses remaining.
It is now a bird watching ‘mecca’, Above left: Views of sand banks and channels in the harbour. Above right: A walker with a dog on the trail. Middle left: On the nature trail.. Below left: Raukumara ranges sweeping up towards east cape.
some birds flying 12,000 kms from Alaska to spend their summers here. Several care groups have been established to control predators and weeds, replant native trees and keep the estuary clean.
It is certainly a destination with a difference, for not only does it have an interesting history, bird watching opportunities, a lovely beach and a safe harbour for all sorts of water activities, but it also has many and varied walking and biking trails. Dominating the sky line, is Onekawa, an ancient Pa site. This is now part of Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park – a 26 hectare reserve, and many walks are in, and around here.
The most accessable and popular walk, leaves from the entrance to Ohiwa Holiday Park, starting up a mown and marked trail. After five or six minutes a “nature trail “branches down through a stand of native bush, Above left: A New Zealand Dotteral. Above right: Motuhora (Whale Island. Below left: The track leaving the holiday park. Below right: The trail from Te Mawhai pa site to Bryans beach .
Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park - rich
with many plants labelled, to a tiny waterfall where glow worms can be seen in the evening.
From here, you can wander on to Ohiwa Harbour Road and continue back along the edge of the harbour to the Holiday Park. Alternatively, you can walk back up to the hill track, and continue to the summit of Onekawa
Here, the views are spectacular – A sweeping view of the harbour with its many channels and sand banks; the spit in the foreground, then out to Whakatane heads, Whale island (Motuhora), White Island (Whakaari), a long stretch of white sand, then the ranges- row upon row of mountains, extending up to East Cape. It needs a moment or two to sit and soak it all in, and we are so lucky it is a reserve for all to enjoy. Continuing along the top of the ridge, you reach a sign marking the southern loop. After climbing a style, you wander over open farmland, following orange markers. Remember to stop to admire the views over Ohiwa Harbour and Bird island (Whangakopikopiko) The trail then leads down lots of steps through native bush, on a well maintained DOC pathway, reaching the vehicle track close to Bryans Road Another option is to continue along the ridge, past the southern loop, and explore the second Pa site – Te Mawhai. Then go through the farm gate on the sea-ward side of the ridge track, and follow the plastic matting trail down through paddocks, under Puriri and Pohutukawas.
Both trails lead to Bryans Road and on to Bryans Beach, and either will take you to this beach in 35 to 45 minutes – depends how long you stop to take photos. At the beach you can sit in the ‘Barnacle Bar’ – a structure made of anything washed up on the beach – driftwood, palm fronds, slabs of timber, old dinghies etc and with mussel farm floats as furniture. It’s worth a look.
Above left: Glow worm sign on the Nature Trail. Below left: The ‘Barnacle Bar’ on the beach. Below right: Steps on the southern loop.
Now you have two choices. Walk back along the foreshore to Ohiwa Beach (15 -20 minutes) or walk on to Waiotahe River mouth. (35-45 minutes) This is an area where dotterels (Kukuruatu) and Oystercatchers (Torea) nest every year, so dogs are not welcome. It is usually a totally empty strand of beach, so if you’re searching solitude, this is the place. White Island is a dominant feature all the way, often belching clouds of steam and gas.
It takes about an hour to walk back to Ohiwa Beach. From Bryans Beach giant pohuhukawas hug the cliff face, and there are lots of trails under them, caves to explore, and branches and rocky outcrops to climb.
Near Ohiwa, the trees thin out as the trail leads through beach grass and scrub, and you soon reach the Kai Kart nestled on the side of the road, offering welcome Kai, made instantly.
Heading west from here is another interesting loop. Cross the road and walk along the ocean beach, past the harbour entrance, and out to
Above left: The coffee cart. Above: Map of the trails in Onekawa
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the end of the sand spit. Here Bird Island (Whangapopikopiko) is only a stone’s throw away, and Ohope doesn’t seem much further. The loop continues back on the harbour side of the spit, but again there are dotterels and oystercatchers, so give them plenty of room.
Those with bikes can follow the trail beside the harbour from the Holiday Park to the boat ramp (20 minutes) or on to the main highway, and return.
You can pack all these walks into one day, or do a different loop every day for six days. Nearby are the dunes and Motu cycle trails, and both Pakihi and Te Waiti Huts offer beautiful walking trails
You’ll never be short of adventures at Ohiwa. Put it on your to do’s this Summer.
Fact file
The Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park, on the spectacular headland between the Ōhiwa Harbour and Bryans Beach, was opened by the Upokorehe hapū and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council in 2010.
The 26.8 hectare property is valued for its rich Māori cultural history and significant archaeological features, many of which are clearly visible in the landscape. It has views to Kōhi Point in the west, across the Ōhiwa Harbour, and east towards East Cape.
Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park is a significant cultural and archaeological landscape.
Three ways to get to Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park:
From Ōpōtiki: Travel west on State Highway 2 towards Whakatāne. Turn right into Ōhiwa Beach Road toward the Ōhiwa Beach motor camp, follow the signs and the carpark is on the right before you reach the campground. Alternatively follow Ōhiwa Beach Road around the estuary, the carpark is off Bryan Road on the right.
Distance from Ōpōtiki: 15 kilometres (approx 10 minutes)
From Whakatāne/Ōhope: Head east toward Ōpōtiki via Ōhope. Follow State Highway 2 and turn left into Ōhiwa Beach Road. You can either follow Ōhiwa Beach Road to the Bryan Road entrance or turn right into Ōhiwa Harbour Road and park at the Ōhiwa Harbour Road entrance.
Distance from Whakatāne: 40 kilometres (approx 35 minutes)
From Rotorua: Head east on State Highway 30 toward Whakatāne. Turn right onto State Highway 2 and remain on State Highway 2 until making a left turn into Ōhiwa Beach Road.
Distance from Rotorua: 115 kilometres (1.5 hours)
