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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: -41.38259, 174.05763. 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
- 600 m one way
- Walking time
- 10 min
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Blenheim 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
A short walk starting from the Whites Bay Campsite.
This DOC directory entry covers Pukatea 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: 600 m one way
- Walking time: 10 min
- DOC grade: Easy
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
From the uppermost camping area at Pukatea/Whites Bay, the Pukatea Walk meanders down to the cable station alongside Pukatea Stream passing through regenerating forest.
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
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.
History and culture
Whites Bay is named after an American known as Black Jack White who, in 1828, deserted his whaling ship and took up residence with local Māori. They in turn had long used the bay as a base for fishing expeditions in Cook Strait.
In 1866, Whites Bay became the South Island terminus of an inter-island telegraph cable. The original cable station still exists. Some of the original forest also remains, although much was burned in the early years of European settlement and is still regenerating.
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.
