Martins Bay

A big sandy beach with safe swimming, framed by old pōhutukawa, is the reason families drive out to Martins Bay, and the small public playground on the reserve keeps kids busy between swims. It sits in Martins Bay Recreation Reserve at the end of Martins Bay Road in Mahurangi East, about an hour north of central Auckland.¹²

Equipment

Auckland Council lists a playground in the reserve, pictured with a climbing unit and a slide, next to a basketball half-court by the main car park.¹ Expect a compact set rather than a destination build; one reviewer calls it a good spot for the wee ones. The larger fenced playground with a basket swing sits inside Martins Bay Holiday Park next door, so check which one you are heading for.³

History and Cultural

The bay looks out across Kawau Bay to Motuketekete, Moturekareka and Motutara islands.² European settlement here dates to 1867, when Samuel Algie took up land at Martins Bay.⁴ The avenue of gnarled pōhutukawa along the beachfront is a sight in itself.

Practical Info

Toilets, with a changing room and drinking fountain according to reviewers, stand on the edge of the large car park, which has mobility parking. The toilets and the car park gate are open 7am to 9pm in summer and 7am to 7pm in winter.¹ There are four beach showers, picnic tables along the foreshore and a barbecue.¹ Grass under the trees gives natural shade, and a pontoon offshore suits confident older swimmers. Watch for dried seaweed and prickles in the sand, and for boats and jet skis at the one-lane concrete ramp.¹

Dogs are banned on the playground and must be leashed near it; in summer they are off the beach from 10am to 5pm.¹ The reserve's bush tracks are closed for kauri dieback, but the 1.5 km Scandrett to Martins Bay Path reaches Scandrett Regional Park in about 40 minutes.¹ For a second stop, Algies Bay Reserve is a short drive north.