Tide timetables

Consult a tide timetable (left menu column) when planning your trip as two estuaries on the track are only passable at low tide:

• Onetahuti estuary can only be crossed within 3 hours either side of low tide. 
• Awaroa estuary can only be crossed within 1 hour 30 minutes before and 2 hours after low tide.

It is dangerous to cross outside of these times.

The estuaries at Torrent and Bark Bay have all-tide tracks around them. If you use the all-tide track at Torrent Bay, add an extra 1 hour 25 minutes, and at Bark Bay add 15 minutes.

If walking north and planning a three-day, two-night trip, the following plan may be helpful:

• When low tide occurs morning and evening (e.g. between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. and between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.), then it is best to spend the first night at or around Anchorage and the second at Awaroa.
• When low tide is around midday and midnight (e.g. between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.) then it is possible to do both tidal crossings in the same day. This means you can spend the first night at Bark Bay and the second at Waiharakeke Bay.

Average walking times for tidal crossings

• Bark Bay to the Onetahuti Crossing
  2 hours
  
• Onetahuti Crossing
  2 minutes 
  
• Onetahuti Crossing to Awaroa hut and campsite
  2 hours
   
• Awaroa Crossing
  25 minutes
   
• northern side of Awaroa crossing to Totaranui
  1 hour 15 minutes

Example: A four-day, three-night trip from Marahau to Wainui, staying at Anchorage, Awaroa and Whariwharangi, might be as follows:

Day 1

Low tides: 5:00 a.m. and 5:20 p.m.

Walking day: walk from Marahau to Anchorage—no tidal crossings.

Walking time: 4 hours.

Day 2

Low tides: 5:45 a.m. and 6:07 p.m.

Walking day: walk from Anchorage to Awaroa including the Onetahuti crossing between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. The evening low tide is 6:07 p.m. and you can cross 3 hours before or after. Then walk on to Awaroa campsite.

Walking time: Anchorage to Bark Bay 4 hours; Bark Bay to Onetahuti Crossing 2 hours; Onetahuti crossing 2 minutes; Onetahuti crossing to Awaroa 1 hour 30 minutes. Total 7 hours 30 minutes.

Day 3

Low tides: 6:30 a.m. and 6:52 p.m.

Walking day: walk across Awaroa crossing before 8:30 a.m. The crossing can be walked between 5 a.m. (1 hour 30 minutes before 6:30 a.m.) and 8:30 a.m. (2 hours after 6:30 a.m.). Then walk via Totaranui to Whariwharangi.

Walking time: Awaroa crossing 25 minutes; northern side of Awaroa crossing to Totaranui 1 hour 15 minutes; Totaranui to Whariwharangi 3 hours. Total 4 hours 40 minutes.

Day 4

Low tides: 7:15 a.m. and 7:37 p.m.

Walking day: walk from Whariwharangi to Wainui carpark—no tidal crossings.

Walking time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

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