Multi Sports

The Taiharuru/Whangarei Heads area is ideal for those involved in multisport who like to train regularly but who also want a relaxing weekend away with family and other friends who may or may not also be keen athletes.

The Wild Kiwi Event! Whangarei Heads is now host to its own Multisport event – the Wild Kiwi. The highly successful inaugural event took place in April 2016, and it is now planned to become a permanent fixture in New Zealand’s multisport event calendar. Check out www.thewildkiwi.co.nz for details.

Kayaking/SUP

The separate Taiharuru and Pataua Estuaries are both just a few minutes drive from Cliff House and offer 12km+ paddling runs inland past farmland and lifestyle blocks. Best done at high to mid tide but also navigable shorter runs at mid to low tide. Parua Bay to Whangarei is also a perfect 20km training kayak with the reward of a coffee or lunch at the Whangarei Town Basin.

If the sea-state is favourable there are a wide variety of sea kayaking options located from numerous beaches within a few minutes drive of Cliff House.

Road Cycling

The quiet, undulating roads of the Whangarei Heads area offer a picturesque and at times challenging training ride. Pick your own route, or a couple of popular rides are a reasonably flat and fast loop ride of approximately 70km from Cliff House, through Parua Bay Village, Onerahi and into Whangarei (coffee stop at the Town Basin optional) and then continue round through Whareora, Pataua North, across the footbridge at Pataua over to Pataua South and back to Taiharuru. Or the shorter (60km) but more vertically challenging Mt Tiger loop ride from Cliff House through Parua Bay Village, up and over the top of Mt Tiger (stunning 360 degree views from the top) and back along the Pataua North Road and over the Pataua footbridge back to Taiharuru.

Mountain Biking

Glenbervie Mountainbike Park
Located just to the northeast of Whangarei on Maruata Road, Glenbervie, (approx. 40min drive from Cliff House), the Glenbervie Mountainbike Park offers 46 different tracks totalling over 150km of rides. Rider donation $4.

Parihaka Mountainbike Park
This smaller mountainbike park offers 11 different runs with a total distance of 2.3km. It has 2 entrances, either on Abbey Caves Road, or Memorial Drive, Parihaka and both are an approx. 30min drive from Cliff House. This park is still a work-in-progress.

Walking / Running Tracks

Te Araroa Track
This national walkway runs the length of New Zealand from Cape Reinga to the Bluff (a total of 3000km) and passes through the vicinity of Cliff House.

The walkway section north of Cliff House is the Taiharuru Estuary Route (7km). Note this route includes crossing an estuary at low tide, so please check tide times.

The section south is the Kauri Mountain Track (3km).

These walks can be done straight from Cliff House and you can either retrace your steps to return, or arrange for someone to pick you up at the end.

Other Routes
For other popular walk/run routes please visit the Department of Conservation website which lists numerous tracks and walkways in the Whangarei area.