Muriwai Gannet Colony Walk: Current Access & What It’s Really Like
Muriwai Gannet Colony walk is short, but that’s not really why you come
The Muriwai gannet colony walk is one of those outings where the distance barely matters. It doesn’t take long to get out towards Ōtakamiro Point from Maukatia / Māori Bay, and once the cliffs open up and the colony comes into view, the track pretty much disappears from your mind.
There are tākapu scattered across the headland, birds coming back in over the Tasman and others lifting straight into the wind. You hear plenty of them before you’ve even worked out where to look.
That’s usually where the quick visit starts stretching out. At first you’re taking in the whole cliff, then you start noticing individual birds landing, squabbling over space or heading back over the water. Before long, you’ve been standing there far longer than the walk took to get there.
That’s what we like about Muriwai. We don’t come here expecting much of a hike. We come for the colony, give it some time and, if the weather’s behaving, wander down to the beach afterwards.
The main thing worth knowing before you leave is that access has changed. At the time of writing in September 2026, the old northern approach from the main Muriwai Beach side is still closed, so the current route starts from Maukatia / Māori Bay at 1 Waitea Road.
Is the Muriwai gannet colony walk worth it?
When the birds are around, we think so.
You’re barely walking before you’re looking down over a breeding seabird colony with the Tasman sitting behind it. For the amount of effort involved, there’s a lot happening once you get there.
The gannets are the reason we’d make a special trip. Outside the breeding season, Muriwai is still a good west coast stop for the beach and cliffs, but if the birds are what you’re going for, we’d wait until they’re back.
The route is around 1.3 km and usually takes about 25 to 30 minutes of actual walking. There are a few steps and gentle rises, but nothing that makes the track feel particularly demanding.
Start from Maukatia / Māori Bay for now
If you haven’t been to Muriwai for a while, this is the bit that can catch you out.
The 2023 storms hit the headland hard, with slips and erosion damaging parts of the gannet track. Repairs have happened since then, but the old northern approach from the main Muriwai Beach side still isn’t the route we’d plan around.
We put 1 Waitea Road into the map and head to Maukatia / Māori Bay. It saves turning up at the main beach because that’s where you remember starting years ago, then finding the old route no longer matches what’s open now.
There are toilets near the starting area, and from there the walk out towards the colony is straightforward.
The track is easy enough to forget about
There isn’t a huge amount to say about the walking itself, and that’s probably useful in its own way.
You’ve got a few steps and small rises, but nothing that has ever made the track feel like the main event for us. Before long, your attention has moved to the cliffs, the surf and the growing amount of noise ahead.
We like having days like that. Not every outing needs to turn into a big mission. Sometimes it’s nice when the interesting part arrives early.
Give the colony some time
The first thing that hits you is the number of birds. The cliff already looks crowded, then another one comes in to land and somehow finds somewhere to fit.
The second thing that hits you, quite literally, is the smell.
There’s no delicate way to put it. A big colony of gannets means a lot of gannet shit, and once you’re close enough, you know about it. Depending on the wind, it can be pretty strong.
We don’t really mind it. If anything, it makes the place feel more real. This isn’t a tidy little wildlife lookout where everything has been arranged for a nice photo. It’s a working seabird colony with hundreds of birds eating, nesting, arguing and crapping all over the cliff.
Once you’ve adjusted to that, the individual birds become more interesting than the overall view. Some glide in cleanly, while others make the final metre look far more complicated than it probably needs to be. There are pairs around the nests, little arguments between neighbours and a steady flow heading back out over the water.
We usually enjoy it more once we stop trying to take the whole scene in at once. Watch one patch of cliff for a while and there’s nearly always something going on.
Go when the colony is active
If the birds are the reason you're heading out, the time of year matters far more than the time of day.
The colony is active through roughly August to March, with around a thousand breeding pairs using Muriwai when things are busy. We wouldn’t chase one particular week inside that window. Once the birds are back in numbers, there’s plenty to see.
We’d also choose a decent-weather day over worrying too much about perfect light. Muriwai is one of those places where the wind can change the whole feel of the visit pretty quickly.
Wind matters more than sunset
On a calm day, it’s easy to stay around the lookout longer than planned. The birds are moving, the surf’s rolling below and there’s no real reason to hurry off.
When the wind gets up, the headland feels much more exposed. Hanging around becomes less appealing, and if you head down to the beach afterwards, the black sand can start moving around with it too.
We’ve had enough west coast days like that to know we don’t get much out of forcing it. If the forecast looks rough, we’d rather come back when standing around outside actually sounds enjoyable.
Sunset can be brilliant here, but we wouldn’t build the whole trip around it. We’ve had good visits in the morning, afternoon and later in the day. Calm conditions make more difference to us than the exact hour.
We usually add Muriwai Beach
If the weather’s still good once we’re done at the colony, we normally spend some time at the main beach too.
It feels different once you’re down there. From above, you’ve been looking across the surf and black sand. On the beach, everything suddenly feels wider and closer.
We don’t overthink that part. Sometimes we walk for a bit, sometimes it’s photos, and sometimes we sit around until the wind or hunger tells us it’s time to move.
For now, we treat the beach and colony as separate stops rather than expecting to continue through on the old northern track connection.
The water is something we take more seriously than the walk. Muriwai gets proper west coast surf and rip currents, so a sunny day doesn’t automatically make it a good swimming day.
Mellow stays home for this one
Mellow comes on plenty of our days out, but not this one.
Dogs aren’t allowed around the gannet colony, Ōtakamiro Point or the Maukatia / Māori Bay area. There are different rules elsewhere around Muriwai, which is probably why the information can look a little mixed when you search the wider area.
Around the nesting birds, though, it’s simple enough. We leave him at home and save him for another day.
When we want more walking, we head somewhere else
There are days when we head west because we actually want a decent walk. Muriwai usually isn’t that day for us, and that’s completely fine.
If we’re in more of a walking mood, Mercer Bay Loop is more our thing. It gives us more time on the trail, more cliff walking and a bit of a climb back at the end, while still giving us that big west coast feeling.
Muriwai scratches a different itch. Sometimes we want tired legs. Sometimes we’re perfectly happy walking a short distance and then spending ages watching gannets make questionable landings.
What we’d bring
Not much.
Comfortable shoes, water, sunglasses and sun protection are enough for most visits. If the wind looks lively or we know we’ll be staying later, we’ll usually take a light layer as well.
The coast can catch you out with the sun because a cool breeze makes it feel less harsh than it is. If we’re hanging around at the colony or adding the beach, we treat the UV much the same way we would on a longer walk. We’ve gone further into that in our sun protection for hiking guide, especially for those cooler exposed days when the sun doesn’t feel particularly strong.
Beyond that, there isn’t much to complicate. We’re dressing for some time outside on the coast, not packing for a serious hike.
Before you go
The only things we’d really check are the latest access and the wind.
At the time of writing, we’re using the Maukatia / Māori Bay entrance at 1 Waitea Road, with the old northern Muriwai Beach-side connection still closed. Access around here has changed since the 2023 storms, so we wouldn’t rely too heavily on an old saved map or a guide from a few years ago.
If seeing the gannets is the main reason you’re going, aim for the breeding season as well.
Beyond that, there isn’t much planning involved. Get yourself to the right side, give the colony a bit of time and see where the day goes from there.
Final take
For such a short walk, Muriwai leaves us with quite a lot.
We remember the noise from the colony, the smell when the wind shifts, birds dropping onto an already crowded cliff, others disappearing back over the Tasman and the odd landing that looks like it could have gone better.
We don’t remember much about the walk itself, which probably says everything.
There are west coast days where we want a proper walk and tired legs. Muriwai isn’t one of them. Here, we’re quite happy standing still for a while.
Muriwai Gannet Colony Walk FAQ
Is the Muriwai gannet colony walk open?
Yes. At the time of writing, the colony is accessible from the Maukatia / Māori Bay side at 1 Waitea Road.
The old northern approach from the main Muriwai Beach side remains affected by the post-2023 storm damage, so we’d check the latest access if your map or directions are older.
Where do you park for the Muriwai gannet colony?
We use the Maukatia / Māori Bay area at 1 Waitea Road.
That puts you on the current approach towards Ōtakamiro Point and avoids turning up at the main beach expecting the old northern route to be open.
How long is the Muriwai gannet colony walk?
The route is around 1.3 km and takes roughly 25 to 30 minutes of actual walking.
We’d still allow more time than that overall because the colony is where most of the visit happens.
Is the Muriwai gannet colony walk hard?
No. It’s a short, easy walk with a few steps and small rises.
The exposed location and wind make more difference to the day than the terrain.
When is the best time to see gannets at Muriwai?
The main breeding season is roughly August through March.
That’s when we’d go if seeing a busy colony is the main reason for the trip.
Can you walk from the gannet colony to Muriwai Beach?
We wouldn’t plan on using the old northern connection at the moment.
While that section remains closed, we treat the colony and main beach as separate stops.
Are dogs allowed at the Muriwai gannet colony?
No. Dogs aren’t allowed around the colony, Ōtakamiro Point or the Maukatia / Māori Bay area.
Different rules apply elsewhere around Muriwai.
Does the Muriwai gannet colony smell?
Yes, quite strongly at times.
There are hundreds of birds packed onto the cliffs, so there’s a lot of bird shit around and the smell can hit pretty hard depending on the wind. It’s not enough to ruin the visit for us, but you’ll definitely notice it.
Is Muriwai good at sunset?
It can be great on a calm evening, but we’d choose decent weather over chasing sunset.
The colony is interesting at any time of day while the birds are active.
Is Muriwai worth visiting outside gannet season?
Yes if you already want the beach and west coast scenery.
If seeing the gannets is the main reason for making the drive, we’d wait until the colony is active.
Is the Muriwai gannet colony worth visiting?
For us, yes. It’s a short walk into something that feels quite different from the usual Auckland coastal stop.
The best part starts once you stop looking at the colony as one big mass of birds and start noticing what the individual ones are actually doing.