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OHOPE TO OPOTIKI 20km Kutarere 30km
The settlement of Kutarere once the port town of Ohiwa Harbour that serviced the
hinterland, is steeped in Māori history with recent major renovations to the local marae.
Travelling eastwards still with the harbour on your left, Ruatuna Road, just 2
kilometres on, provides an interesting detour.

Ohiwa Holiday Park is a beautiful beach & harbour front
destination in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. We offer camp sites
and self contained accommodation. Close to Ohope Beach

TODD & NOLA MORGAN
Ph: (07)315 4741
Fax: (07)315 4601
Email: stay@ohiwaholidays.co.nz
Web: www.ohiwaholidays.co.nz

18km Ohiwa Harbour Scenic Detour 32km
This route follows the harbour edge via Ruatuna Road, Ohiwa Loop Road, Reeve Road
and Ohiwa Harbour Road and rejoins the Pacific Coast Highway (SH2) at the Waiotahe
River Bridge. In olden days Ohiwa was ringed by Pā sites, probably owing to the
accessibility of sea food, and was the scene of numerous tribal fights and massacres.
Te Kooti died here in 1893 on Hokianga Island in the middle of the harbour. It is a
sealed road which leads to many ideal stopping places for safe swimming, windsurfing,
waterskiing, canoeing, sailing, fishing, boating, netting, picnics, etc. With low tides, much
of the harbour is bared and cockles are easily obtainable, also mussels in season. On the
knoll at the turnoff, occupying an area of 1 to 1.5 hectares are the most northerly New
Zealand Black Beech trees, Nothofagus Solanderi. These were brought from the South
Island as seedlings by Richard and Frances Kemp in 1882. The Ohiwa harbour is also the
site of the most southerly growing Mangrove plants, and is the only harbour in the country
administered by an act of Parliament.
At the end of Reeves Road, turn left on Ohiwa Harbour Road, which leads to the Ohiwa
spit under the historic Onekawa Pā site. (See WALKS page 15). A wharf, the Ferry
Hotel, Post Office and school once existed near where the present channel now runs. The
Ohiwa Spit, Whangakopikopiko Island and Ohiwa Beach, are major breeding grounds for
shorebirds, including the endangered NZ Dotterel, Variable Oystercatchers, White Fronted
Terns and Black Billed Gulls. The Eastern Bar tailed Godwits arrive from their breeding
ground in Alaska in September and return in April each year. There are over 60 birds
which live and breed around the Ohiwa Harbour. The new edition of the Eastern Bay of
Plenty Birds booklet is available from campgrounds and I-sites. Snapper and Kahawai can
be caught at the harbour entrance channel as well as the ocean beach.
On the way to the Ohiwa Spit you will find Ohiwa Beach Holiday Park. A right turn
at the Reeves Road and Ohiwa Harbour Road intersection, leads over the hill to rejoin the
Pacific Coast Highway.

Ohiwa Beach Holiday Park: Ohiwa Harbour Rd, RD2, Ph 07-315 4741. Motels,cabins,
power & tent sites. E. stay@ohiwaholidays.co.nz Right on beach & harbour. (see advert above)
Continuing on SH2 on the right is Waiotahe Valley Road which travels some 15kms
inland, another pleasant drive into the foothills of Te Urewera. Just after the turn off on the
28 right you will find a Caravan Dump Station.