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Key facts
- Distance
- 300 m return via same track
- Walking time
- 20 min
- Track grade
- Easiest
- Location
- Blenheim area
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
A short walk from Rārangi Beach to the small beach at Monkey Bay.
This DOC directory entry covers Monkey Bay Walk in Marlborough, within Blenheim 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: 300 m return via same track
- Walking time: 20 min
- 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.
Description
This short walk leads from the northern end of Rarangi Beach around a rocky point and into Monkey Bay, with its small beach. A lookout point near the beginning of the track offers good views and has signs explaining the way that sea currents have formed Rarangi Beach over thousands of years.
This track has steep and unfenced drop-offs right beside the track. Children should be supervised at all times.
Getting there
Follow SH1 to Tuamarina (9 km north of Blenheim or 20 km south of Picton). Turn off and head east via Hunter, Pembers and Rarangi Roads to Rarangi, before climbing steeply over rugged hills to where a short side road leads down to the cable station.
Whites Bay is 15 km from Tuamarina. Alternative access involves a 41 km drive from Picton along the historic and spectacular but winding and unsealed Port Underwood Road.
Know before you go
This track has steep and unfenced drop-offs right beside the track. Keep to the formed track and ensure children are supervised at all times.
Hot, dry conditions and strong, cold winds are common in this area.
Open fires are not permitted at any of the East Coast reserves and only portable stoves should be used for cooking.
Watch out for wasps, especially in late summer and autumn.
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.
