Hobsonville Point Coastal Walkway

The Te Ara Manawa coastal walkway traces a 5km loop around the Hobsonville Point peninsula, hugging the waterfront at Catalina Bay before cutting through bush-clad gullies and across the township. The terrain is flat and the path is pram, scooter and cycle-friendly throughout, with a mix of boardwalk, footpath and graded gravel.

Families tend to make a beeline for the playgrounds strung along the route. At Harrier Point Park, a flying fox and basket swing overlook the water; further along, the Hobsonville Point Park playground offers giant sculptural seed pods fashioned from steel — the kind of structure that sends children up, over and through until the adults call time. The two Sunderland bridges lift walkers into the treetops, with views across the inlet to mature pōhutukawa and out to Herald Island.

The walkway also carries a layer of history — thirteen uniform brick buildings at Te Onekiritea Point mark New Zealand's former largest Air Force explosives depot, and a repurposed rifle range now serves as an open-air amphitheatre. Public toilets are available at Catalina Bay.