Whangaroa is a pretty secluded harbor with several bays available for anchoring. It has super lush hillsides covered in trees and shrub that line the beautiful blue waters. Whangaroa is famous for the Duke’s Nose hike.
The Duke’s Nose: can you see the face in the rock? The ear is on the left, and the eye is above the beakish nose.
We did this hike a few years ago but it was time to revisit it again (see post from 2023). Unfortunately our timing was not so great this year. We just had a massive rain storm which meant the trail would be super muddy and slippery. However we were in the middle of preparing for Cyclone Vaianu so this was our only shot to hike up.
The Duke’s Nose Hike
Starting at Rere Bay, go to the DOC (Department of Conservation) Hut. This is the start of the walk which is only 1.3 miles return with an elevation of 571′. It took us about 1hr47min return with a long stop at the top to take some drone photos. Our total moving time was only 49 minutes return.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking that the short distance and travel time means that this is an easy hike.
The track follows the stream behind the DOC (Department of Conservation) Hut towards the Duke’s Nose.
There was also another stream the ran down the track making this a super slippery trek. But on the positive side it was super lush and green all around us.
The majority of the track winds steadily through scrub and has a gradual climb, though not overly steep. However, the real challenge is in the final 50 meters which feels more like rock climbing than tramping.
There are two sections that are really steep, in fact one is actual vertical! DOC installed (2) metal poles into the rock to make it “easier” for the hikers to rock climb up the mountain side.
The Duke’s Head
This particular hike actually takes you to the top of the Duke’s Head (not his nose). The views of Whangaroa Bay are usually stunning. However, with the recent rain storms the mountains have dumped a lot of mud and dirt into the bays making them brown.
Or as Matt says, “The Duke’s Nose was particularly runny causing the water to turn brown.”
But with the brown water comes lots of waterfalls (right photo).
Matt took some cool drone shots…can you find us in each shot?
Enjoying the rewarding views on top of the Duke’s Nose.
The waters are normally a beautiful blue. The below photos were taken by previous visitors (from No Foreign Land). Showing you how beautiful the water typically is at Whangaroa.
Matt and I were both happy we were able to get this hike in between the storm and cyclone. Well worth the effort.
Find the hike on No Foreign Land.
Our blog posts run 4-6 weeks behind actual live events.
We hiked up to the Duke’s Nose in early April 2026.