Hātea Loop Shared Path – Huarahi o te Whai

Photo of the Hatea loop, town basin.

The Hātea Loop – Huarahi o te Whai (Pathway of Opportunity) is accessible for walking, jogging, bicycles, mobility aids, scooters and pushchairs. The entire loop circles the Hātea River.

The shared path connects the Town Basin, Te Matau a Pohe, William Fraser Memorial Park, Kotuitui Whitinga, Canopy Bridge, Claphams Clocks, Town Basin playground, Reyburn House gallery, a sculpture and heritage trail, Riverbank Theatre, Waka and Wave Millennium sculpture, Pohe Island Bike Park and Riverside Park along the way.

Parking

The Hātea Loop – Huarahi o te Whai can be accessed from a variety of points. There is parking at Town Basin carparks, Bascule carpark and Pohe Island carpark.

What to expect

Grade:  1
Time to walk:  60 minutes (whole loop)
Distance:  4.2km
Fully accessible 

  • An easy, circular, surfaced walk around the Hātea River with spectacular views of the Town Basin marina, two lifting bridges, heritage panels and sculptures.
  • Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash at all times. 
  • Numerous activities including Camera Obscura, a dog agility park, family-friendly skatepark, playgrounds, parks and the Pohe Island Bike Park.
  • During business hours, there are also a variety of shops and cafes to enjoy.
  • You can also borrow a mobility scooter for free from Whangārei Art Museum to get around the Town Basin and the Hātea Loop.

A picture showing some accessibility users (wheelchair, a child on bike, people walking) on the Hatea Loop.

You can view a map of the shared path, which includes the location of activities, sculptures, public toilets, carparks and other facilities.

Hātea Loop Shared Path map(PDF, 167KB)

Preview map

Map of the Hātea Loop shared path.

Download the Hātea Loop Shared Path map(PDF, 167KB)

Map legend

key-Onerahi-unpaved.png Unpaved path

Suggested walking link white dots icon. Suggested walking link

Public toilet locations icon. Toilets

School locations icon. Schools

Locky Docks secure bike parking icon. Locky Docks (secure bike parking)

Kamo Shared Path red line icon. Kamo Shared Path

Connection locations red dots icon. Connections

Raumanga Shared Path teal icon. Raumanga Shared Path

Hātea Loop blue line icon. Hātea Loop Huarahi o te Whai

key-Onerahi-shared-path.png Onerahi Shared Path

Shared paths are especially made for bicycles, walking, pushchairs, skateboards, mobility scooters, wheelchairs and other similar devices. 

Motorbikes, cars and other road vehicles are not permitted on shared paths. 

Please keep left when using shared paths, maintain a polite speed and distance while passing others, and stay on the pavement.

Heritage trail

Read more about the historical significance of the heritage trail on the following page.

Town Basin heritage and sculpture trail

Hātea loop footpath, Town Basin.

Hatea loop

(JPG, 191KB)
Te Matau a Pohe Bridge seen from the loop.

Hatea loop - Te Matau a Pohe

(JPG, 176KB)
A bench facing the water on the Hatea loop.

Hatea Loop waterfront

(JPG, 215KB)

Location

Reyburn House Lane, Whangārei 0110  View Map

Google Map
Tagged as:

Shared path snapshot

Features

  • Art
  • BBQ
  • Bike activity or skills area
  • Dogs allowed on-leash
  • Drinking fountains
  • Lake or River
  • Outdoor exercise equipment
  • Park benches, seating or picnic tables
  • Playground
  • Shaded areas
  • Skate Park
  • Toilets
  • Walks - paved
  • Wheelchair and pushchair friendly

Trail grades

1 - A well made path with easy access for most people including families.  

2 - A short walk generally on well made path but may include steeper sections.  

3 - A longer walking track usually well made including steps and more suitable for people with reasonable fitness.

Information and maps

Hātea Loop shared path map(PDF, 167KB)

WhangāreiCity Walks Brochure(PDF, 2MB)

Related Information

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