The Heart of Waitawa Regional Park
Mātaitai Bay is the main arrival point at Waitawa Regional Park, a southeast Auckland park on the Tāmaki Strait. The bay is where most day visitors spend most of their time, and it is easy to see why: a northwest-facing sheltered sand beach, backed by a grassy reserve and steep hills to the west, generally calm water safe for swimming, gas barbecues, an outdoor shower, good toilet facilities, and ample parking make it the most family-friendly spot in the park. At 700 metres long, there is enough room, even on a busy day.
Pā Sites and the Historic Wharf
The bay is flanked by notable pā sites on both sides. Koherurāhi Pā sits to the west on Koherurāhi Point and Mātaitai Pā to the east on Mātaitai Point. These archaeological sites are not fenced or signed in detail, but the raised earthworks of the headland pā at Koherurāhi are clearly visible from the beach.
A short walk along a road cut into the headland of Mātaitai Point brings you to the Waitawa Wharf, a T-shaped commercial structure built during the explosives-manufacturing era, when the land was used by Orica Explosives to make and ship dynamite. Today it is used for fishing and sightseeing. Note that the water below the wharf runs with a strong current, and jumping from it is not safe.
Walks and the Kayak Trail
Mātaitai Bay is the starting and finishing point for all of the park's longer walking loop tracks. They begin and end here, making it easy to leave a picnic at the car and return after a walk. The beach is also part of the Te Ara Moana kayak trail, which links a series of parks along the southeast Auckland coast.
How to Get There
From Downtown Auckland, take the southern motorway south, exit at Hill Road, then head east-northeast via Hill Road, Stratford Road, Alfriston Road, Alfriston-Ardmore Road, Clevedon-Takakani Road, and Clevedon-Papakura Road to Clevedon. From Clevedon, follow the Clevedon-Kawakawa Road east toward Kawakawa Bay, with the park entrance before the bay. The main car park at Mātaitai Bay is reached by following the main access road down to the bay. The drive takes around 70 minutes and is 52 km.
Nearby places to visit include Pāwhetau Point and Waitawa Bay, both within the park, Kawakawa Bay Coast Road, Tawhitokino Beach, Ōrere Point and Tāpapakanga Regional Park further south along the coast.
