Okura Walkway




The Okura walkway is an easy and very scenic 3hour river/forrest walk (one way) close to Silverdale about 20-25km north of Auckland city.

Map

The walkway starts at the end of Haigh Access Road (off East Coast Road) about 20-25km from Auckland city. The walkway winds along the Okura river via Dacre cottage and Stillwater to the end of Duck Creek road. The whole track takes about 3 hours one way or 1.5hours to Dacre cottage. During low tide it’s possible to do a round trip by walking along the muddy river flats back to the start point.



Start

Right at the start a 20m long wooden bridge crosses a side arm of the Okura river with nice views of the mud flats, farmland and forrest.



Forrest

The track itself is easy to follow and is quite wide and has steps where necessary.



Mud

After rain some parts can become quite muddy and water proof, easy-to-clean footwear is recommended.



Okura river

During low tide it’s possible to walk along the mud flats of the Okura river. This option provides beautiful views of the surrounding farmland and forests.



Horse Riding

The area is also popular for horse riding



Dacre Cottage

After about 1.5 hours you come across Dacre cottage, which was renovated by a group of volunteers when we got there. The area is a lovely picnic spot with a wide sandy beach.



Flowers

The flora consists of varies types of native bush and trees with many species along the track having signs explaining them. Among others you will come across a huge Puriri tree, Manuka bushes and trees, Nikau palm groves (top-right) and ...



Kauri trees

... lots of Kauri trees!



Rivers

There are also some lovely rivers along the track – although the water quality seems to be a bit dubious due to the run off from the surrounding farms and settlements.






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