Our main purpose for coming to Whangaroa was to find protection from Cyclone Vaianu (see post).  We were super pleased with the outcome and our safety after the cyclone.  Now it was time to go exploring.

Whangaroa is filled with dozens of anchorages and bays.  You can find protection from the wind from any direction and still have a beautiful view.  Lots of mountains and hillsides covered in trees, bush, and scrub.

Unfortunately for us, we were here after multiple storms so the waters were a milk chocolate brown. 

The soil from the mountains run down through the rivers and into the bays.  This gives the water its Hershey’s  color.  Eventually, the brown water will leave through the pass and clear up to its beautiful blue. 

One morning we had a particularly foggy morning which delivered some amazing drone shots!

Whangaroa Town

The Whangaroa town is very, very small.  The Whangaroa Sport Fishing Club and marina are the main focal point.  They have a restaurant and bar that serve pretty tasty food.

There is a town hall which also serves as the church, a huge recycling and trash center, and the Marin Whangaroa (hotel and eatery).  

Locals will drive 8km to the next town for a small grocery store or 30 minutes to Keri Keri where there is a large grocery store.

Trekking in Whangaroa

We visited Whangaroa in 2024 and had the pleasure of doing two fun but challenging hikes. See this post which has photos of Whangaroa’s much prettier water here.

We decided to replicate both hikes – because, why not.

The Duke’s Nose hike was a muddy mess but a good hike.  See the blog post “The Duke’s Runny Nose” for this adventure.

St. Paul’s Track

Explorers named it St. Paul’s rock because of its domelike structure which resembles St. Paul’s Cathedral. 

It is a relatively easy, short, but steep trek up to the top.

It took us less than 1 hour return to climb the 213m elevation.

St. Paul’s Rock track is a short but rather steep trail.  You walk along a dirt path which can be muddy after a rain storm (which is when we visited).  

Starting at the Whangaroa Sport Fishing Club, you turn left on the main road and then right on Old Hospital Road. 

You walk the road for about 10 minutes before turning right at the Kings view lodge where you climb over the fence (see stairs right photo).

The trail winds through manuka bush, through open fields, and between massive boulders where you use chains to climb.

D.O.C (Department of Conservation) has dug foot holes on the steep parts. 

In addition, they added a chain on the last 30 meters to help you climb the rock.

We were rewarded with spectacular views of Whangaroa Harbor once we reached the top.

Protecting Whangaroa

NZ installed a 6-inch gun in 1942 at Whangaroa Harbor.  Next to it was a bunker.

However, by the end of 1943 the gun had been removed and the land sold.

As you can see, it is now used as a seating area with a picnic table.

Whangaroa is a truly beautiful place to anchor and enjoy.

We feel so blessed to be able to enjoy the protection of the bays during Cyclone Vaianu.

Find the St. Paul’s Trek on No Foreign Land.

We were in Whangaroa for a week during the first part of April 2026.