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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -35.53639, 173.37119. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 5 min one way
- Track grade
- Easiest
- Location
- Hokianga Heads area
- Dog access
- No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
Walk along open grassy terrances and through low coastal scrub to the shoreline of the inner Hokianga Harbour.
This DOC directory entry covers Martins Bay Track in Northland, within Hokianga Heads area. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time: 5 min one way
- DOC grade: Easiest
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
This gently graded track branches off Signal Station Track and leads down to the inner shoreline of the Hokianga Harbour.
It passes through open grassy terraces and low coastal scrub including manuka, flax, coprosma, cabbage trees, and bracken. It goes past old building sites from the time when the reserve functioned as a signal station for ships entering the harbour from the Tasman Sea over the treacherous sandbar 2 km out to sea.
There are expansive views of the harbour as you walk down to the beach.
Getting there
Access to Martins Bay Track is via the Signal Station Track.
Signal Station Track starts from the Arai Te Uru Recreational Reserve carpark.
Arai Te Uru Recreational Reserve is at Hokianga Heads, 56 km west of Kaikohe. From Kaikohe, travel west along SH12 through Omapere. Take a right into Signal Station Rd. The reserve and carpark is at the end of the road.
Know before you go
There are steep drop-offs in the area - exercise caution and supervise children at all times.
Grassy terraces provide sheltered picnic sites.
Nearest toilets are at Ompere.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
