Whatipu Caves Track

This wonderful West Auckland beach is at the end of Whatipu Road, the last 10ks is narrow twisting gravel so your car will get dirty (You must keep left on the road in NZ at all times whether tarseal or gravel BE SAFE). It is a decent walk to the beach from the carpark, lots of parking. Pack light with lots of hydration. The views throughout this trip are beautiful and the mountain range is fantastic. There is thriving bird life so respect any nesting. Be mindful of the wildlife, walk on the paths provided whenever possible.There are no shops for miles so be prepared, a store at Huia is about 15mins before with playground by the beach that maybe more suitable for kids and there is also a couple of dams worth seeing before that. Whatipu is nice and quiet for those needing the space.Please take what you bring with you. Do not leave your rubbish and only leave footprints. We love our country and want it enjoyed but respected.

20 minutes walk from car park through bush and then grasslands. There are about 4 or 5 caves of various sizes. The first one requires crawling through a hole on ground, the others you can walk in, one of them being ginormous. There are toilets and a nice car park and bbq tables by camping ground. The lsst few kms of road are gravel, quite narrow in some places. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

In the start, it is a bit muddy and you have to cross 2 rivers, but there are not very deep. After about 25 minutes, you will see the first cave.Not really for beginners especially if was raining a lot, but still worth the visit!

This was amazing. There are about 10 caves all up. You have to keep your eyes peeled for secret ones hidden behind trees, and down the bank etc.Very wet in colder months.Don't go without waterproof shoes (gumboots) in winter, unless you want wet feet the whole time.My 6year old was fascinated though, and so was I.The hidden kauri dance floor in one of the caves was my favourite place to visit.

My son and I really enjoyed this beautiful place. We checked out the caves and the big one would have been a great dance hall as it was in its time. We then decided to carry on walking around the coast. You have to climb over some rock that was infested by wasps. There were wasps everywhere throughout the hike from there so watch out for nests though they did not attack us. The trail turns into a rangers track (hard to navigate) which made it more of an adventure. We walked to the actual Whatipu Cave marker on Google maps. No more caves but beautiful scenery, no one around, just natural New Zealand.

Little walk to the caves from Whatipu camping area car park. Its a bit slippery when wet and some portions needs gum boots when wet.

Be very careful on the metal road over the mountain from HUIA to WHATIPU. Drive slow and safe, the road can be narrow and winding and there is always traffic from the opposite direction to consider.. Also be very careful if you choose to swim or fish of the rocks at WHATIPU, there are no LIFEGUARDS, it is a major harbour entrance and the currents are fast and TREACHEROUS!!Bring lots of fresh water and a full tank of gas, there are no shops or petrol stations here.There is a Camp Ground with toilets and local information available.Beautiful place with lots of history and many wonderful bush walks and scenic views.

Pretty muddy this time of year and Gorse overgrown in parts so little ones need to take care. Gum boots and torches a must if you want to explore caves fully.

Such an amazing place to explore, the caves are awesome. Lots of history about the place as well. Only advise is stick to the tracks and let someone know your there as there is no cell phone reception once out there.

The cave track is a easy walk for everyone, and the beach is so peaceful, maybe not too safe to swim tho.