William Fraser Memorial Park on Pohe Island

A photograph at sunset at Pohe Island sportgrounds.

William Fraser Memorial Park on Pohe Island is a large park in central Whangārei, offering a range of recreational activities and easy access to the Hātea Loop walkway.

What to expect

Pohe Island destination playground.
Public skate park.
BMX club facility (members only).
Football and rugby sports fields.
- Home of Northland Rugby
- Old Boys Marist Clubrooms
- Mad Hatters Football Clubrooms
Dog exercise park.
Camera Obscura (accessible code available on request).
Bike Park shelter.
Cycle circuit track.
Bike skills area and old BMX track.
Cycle pump track.
Sports fields.
Toilets.
Camera Obscura.

Parking

Free, all day parking is available at Pohe Island car park on Pohe Island Road. Entrance is off Riverside Drive, opposite Kauri Place.

Parking is also available near the Bike Park and Dog Park.

Dogs

There is a fully fenced dog exercise park off Dave Culham Drive. Dogs are prohibited from the sports grounds but allowed on-leash in other areas within the park.

Book an area for your event

You can book the following areas for your special event:

William Fraser Park event space beside the skatepark
Bike Park shelter, cycle circuit or pump track
Pohe Island central car park.

If you need exclusive use, access to power, a code or key, toilets outside of normal opening hours you should book.

There are small fees for exclusive use for your event.

Book the Town Basin, a District park or a car park

Master plan for future development

The William Fraser Memorial Park on Pohe Island Master Plan was adopted by Council in September 2019.

William Fraser Park Master Plan(PDF, 35MB)

Image showing a stylised map of Pohe Island from the full 'Masterplan' document

Download full size: Pohe Island Master Plan map(PDF, 2MB)

Key features of the master plan

Re-nature

A programme of ecosystem creation is established across the site. Habitat areas include salt marsh, wetland, woody forest and tree stands.

Connectivity

A network of paths and trails around the site connect the various areas of the park and provide for people of all ages and abilities to move with ease around the site.

Spine path

A grand avenue connects the path from edge to edge.

At the eastern end will be an elevated lookout which provides visual connections to the harbour and horizon.

At the western end will be a corresponding lookout that showcases views across the Hātea River to the Waka and Wave sculpture on the opposite shore.

New Bridge

A feature of the spine path is a new bridge that rises up and over the road at the eastern end of the park, giving pedestrians priority and creating a means of activating the eastern edge of the park.

Marine Hub

The focus of the Marine Hub is to continue to bring together water related activities into a concentrated hub, in a way that allows both marine hub users and members of the public to interact and enjoy land/water activities.

A key new feature of this area is the pontoon and observation deck which will allow closer interaction with the river.

Hātea Hub

A place of informal recreation activities focused around play, picnicking, youth activities and informal events. This area will become a key family gathering space.

Gateway Hub

Strategically located at the intersection of the main road entrance and spine path, this is a place for visitors to meet up and distribute to the various destinations around the site.