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Remember to be a tidy Kiwi!

All our regional parks are rubbish free. Whether you call it rubbish, trash or garbage, please bag it all up and recycle it or throw it away when you return home.

Important notice

Track Closures

Following the decision by the Environment and Community Committee to close a number of tracks and implement a further programme of high and medium risk track closures, staff and rangers have been working hard to identify more tracks for closure.

A rāhui has been placed over the Waitākere Ranges by iwi Te Kawerau a Maki. This cultural restriction by the mana whenua of the area urges people to stay away from the ranges to allow the forest to heal. The council supports the principles of the rāhui and recommends alternative walking and tramping tracks across the Auckland region.

The list below includes additional tracks identified since the committee meeting on 5 December. Long-term closures are in place for the following tracks:

Waitoru Reserve Track - Bethells Road

If visiting open areas of the ranges, or any kauri forest:

Clean all soil off your footwear and other gear every time you enter or leave a forest area with native trees and at every cleaning station
Use disinfectant after you have removed all the soil
Stay on track and off kauri roots.

For more information about kauri dieback disease click here.

About

Park facilities

Park activities

Tracks

History

About Te Henga - Bethells

Te Henga or Bethells Beach is another beach in the Waitakere Ranges well worth a visit. Here you will also find, behind the sand dunes, Lake Wainamu - a popular swimming alternative to the rough west coast beaches. It is a geographically contained area with constrained vehicle access and limited parking capacity.

Park information

Pedestrian access:	Open 24 hours
Summer gate opening hours:	6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. (Daylight savings)
Winter gate opening hours:	6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (Non daylight savings)
Distance from CBD:	45 km
Park map:	Click here to download a park map

Dog walking restrictions

At all times, dogs are allowed off-leash on the areas of:	Grass areas at the Bethells Road entrance.
During daylight, sunrise to sunset, dogs are allowed off-leash on the areas of:	Waitakere Bay, i.e. beach area north of the river mouth.
At all times, dogs are to be on-leash in the areas of:	The beach, between the marker pole to the small south headland, as marked by marker poles Car park, cafe and on the track leading to the lagoon and beach.
During night time, sunset to sunrise, dogs are to be on-leash in the areas of:	Waitakere Bay, i.e. beach area north of the river mouth.
Dogs are prohibited from the areas of:	O'Neill Bay Areas south of the southern headland, as marked by poles All other areas of Te Henga Park.

Click here for information about which regional parks allow restricted dog walking

How to get to Te Henga - Bethells

Take Scenic Drive, then Te Henga Road which takes you to Bethells Road and on to Te Henga Beach.

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Maps

Download park map

Get directions with Google Maps

Park facilities

Interpretation

Parking

Lake Wainamu parking. Additional parks are available at Te Henga walkway trail head.

Park activities

Dog walking with restrictions

At all times, dogs are allowed off-leash on the areas of:	Grass areas at the Bethells Road entrance.
During daylight, sunrise to sunset, dogs are allowed off-leash on the areas of:	Waitakere Bay, i.e. beach area north of the river mouth.
At all times, dogs are to be on-leash in the areas of:	The beach, between the marker pole to the small south headland, as marked by marker poles Car park, cafe and on the track leading to the lagoon and beach.
During night time, sunset to sunrise, dogs are to be on-leash in the areas of:	Waitakere Bay, i.e. beach area north of the river mouth.
Dogs are prohibited from the areas of:	O'Neill Bay Areas south of the southern headland, as marked by poles All other areas of Te Henga Park.

Drones or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Click here to obatin rules and guidelines for flying UAVs and drones. In particular pay attention to the code of conduct.

Picnics

Sightseeing

Surfing

Surfing at Bethells Beach and Oneils.

Swimming

Walks (1 hour or more)

Take a walk over to O'Neills Bay or Lake Wainamu. Click on links below for track information:

Walks (less than 1 hour)

Wedding or civil union

A permit must be obtained prior to commencement. Some locations are very popular over the summer months and early booking is recommended. Please contact the Arataki Visitor Centre on 09 817 0077 to discuss your requirements.

Tracks

Goldie Bush Walkway 1 hour - 4.5 km This track is administered by the Department of Conservation, for more information and updates on the track status please go to www.doc.govt.nz.

Houghton Track 1 hour - 2.1 km From Lake Wainamu Track, Houghton Track ascends steeply up spur to the main ridge, then climbs gradually to Wainamu Junction.

Lake Wainamu Track 1.25 hour - 4 km From the carpark on Bethells Road, Lake Wainamu Track follows this shallow stream along easy grade to Lake Wainamu outlet, then skirts around northern side of lake, and crosses Wainamu Stream by a small waterfall.

Mokoroa Stream Track 1 hour - 2.3 km This track is administered by the Department of Conservation. Please check the DOC website for more information www.doc.govt.nz.

Wainamu Bush Track 2 hour - 2 km Under Kauri Dieback Management.

Mokoroa Falls Track ½ hour - 1.4 km This track is administered by the Department of Conservation Please check the DOC website for more information www.doc.govt.nz.

Te Henga Walkway 4 hour - 8 km From the carpark a short distance off Bethells Road, Te Henga Walkway track crosses a wooden bridge above the Waitakere River and proceeds towards the sea, climbing steadily to skirt around headland to the back of O’Neill Bay (45 minutes).

Waitoru Reserve Track ¾ hour - 1 km Under Kauri Dieback Management.

History

Early Māori were drawn to this area’s rich resources of seafood, berries and birds and grew gourds, kumara and taro. Shell middens, terraces, pits and pā (fortifications) can still be seen. At Cascade Kauri, on the edge of the
golf course, is the Te Punanga (hidden place), a kāinga occupied in times of danger.

By the mid-1850s some of the first Europeans began to settle in this area and the kauri began to be logged. The Sisam family established Arrow Farm on what is now the Waitākere Golf Course. Len Sisam became the first ranger
in the area at the age of 19 and formed some of the first tracks. By the 1920s most of the area had been logged and farmed and in 1924 the Auckland City Council and the Crown purchased the land as a reserve to save the forest
remnants.

Te Henga grew in popularity from 1912 onwards and the Bethell family’s guesthouse catered for those holidaying from Auckland and the surrounding area. The road was sealed in 1982, encouraging increased numbers of visitors.