Dog exercise areas and beaches

There are three different control areas across the district:

  1. Dog exercise areas: dogs can be exercised off the leash.
  2. Leash control areas: dogs can be exercised on a leash.
  3. Prohibitive areas: dogs are completely prohibited.

Summer rules for dogs

Between 20 December and 31 January, you can take the dog to the beach before 9am and after 5pm. Remember to stay away from areas where dogs are banned.

For all-day outdoor exercise Bream Bay has two year-round dog exercise beach areas. These are well sign-posted. There is also a dog park at William Fraser Memorial Park on Pohe Island, where dogs can run off the leash, play with other dogs and enjoy play equipment.

To keep wildlife safe, dogs are banned year-round from nine beach and estuary conservation areas in our District, and from all bush reserves (details on this page). Many of these places are habitats for kiwi and other endangered birds. Keep an eye out for the signs about them.

Remember:

  • clean up after your dog and follow all the usual good safety measures
  • don't leave dogs in cars, the temperature can rise to a terminal point in a very short time even when windows are cracked
  • always take water and a bowl for the dog to drink from breaching a dog control bylaw can result in a fine of $300.

General rules for dogs

Properly socialised dogs are allowed in dog exercise areas and leash control areas.

When exercising your dog in parks or on our beaches:

  • be especially vigilant of our wildlife
  • please keep your dog from disturbing or endangering any other animals
  • always clean up after your dog.

Dogs are not allowed in prohibitive areas as these serve to protect vulnerable wildlife or prevent a probable conflict with public safety, health and hygiene.

Dog exercise areas and dog friendly beaches are where dogs can be run off the leash while under control by their owners. 

Kamo / Tikipunga:

  • Elgin Place Reserve
  • Hodges Park
  • Tikipunga Sports Park (excluding marked sports fields)
  • Station Road Reserve
  • Beazley Park
  • Te Paka Reserve

Riverside / Parihaka / Onerahi:

  • Panorama Drive Reserve
  • Pah Road Reserve
  • Dog Exercise Park at William Fraser Memorial Park on Pohe Island
  • Raurimu Avenue Park
  • Ross Street Park
  • Nottingham Road Reserve

Raumanga:

  • Tauroa Reserve
  • Tarewa Park
  • Raumanga Valley Road Scenic Reserve
  • Otaika Reserve

Ruakaka:

  • Tiki Place Reserve

Bream Bay:

  • Riverside Reserve

Mairtown / Otangarei Central:

  • Nixon Street Park
  • Mander Park
  • Otangarei No 1 and 2 grounds (excluding marked sportsfields)
  • Waiarohia Reserve
  • William Jones Reserve
  • Mair Park

Maunu / Morningside:

  • Barge Showgrounds(excluding wetlands area)
  • Anzac Park
  • Puriri Park Reserve

Hikurangi:

  • Recreation Domain
  • Waro Lake area off King Street

One Tree Point:

  • Shearwater Recreation Ground

Beaches:

Dogs are banned on some beaches to protect vulnerable wildlife. Please see the Conservation Ban Areas below.

Dogs are allowed on all other beaches, except between 20 December and 31 January, where they cannot be on the beach between 9:00am and 5:00pm.

Excludes the beaches at Ruakaka and Uretiti, as shown on the maps below:

Ruakākā dog exercise area(PDF, 85KB)

Uretiti dog exercise area(PDF, 82KB)

Dogs must be on a leash at all times in these areas:

  • Town Basin and the Hatea Loop
  • Hatea Walkway - between Whangarei Falls and the Aquatic Centre
  • Waimahanga Walkway.

Dogs are banned in the following areas at all times. 

Council buildings: All Council buildings including Forum North and all public libraries.

Marked sports fields: All marked sports fields including Kensington Park.

Cemeteries: All cemeteries (unless otherwise authorised by the Chief Executive Officer in writing).

Whangarei Central Business District: All areas as noted in the Whangarei CBD map in the table below.

Whangārei CBD map(PDF, 89KB)

Matakohe / Limestone Island: All areas.

Wetlands: All wetlands including but not limited to Kioreroa Road wetlands (on the western side of Kioreroa Road) and Barge Park wetlands.

Bush reserves: All bush reserves including but not limited to Pukenui Forest including Western Hills, Mt.Aubrey (high track only), Parihaka reserve between the Hatea walkway and the Parihaka Memorial, A H Reed Par (excluding bush reserves identified in Schedule B of the Dog Management Policy).

Children's play areas: All children's play areas.

Some beaches: Please see "Dogs on beaches" and "Conservation ban areas" information below for details.

You can exercise your dog on most beaches in the district, however your dog must be under continuous and effective control at all times.

Dogs on Beaches Ban Areas

There are all year round ban areas at some coastal locations for conservation purposes, which includes the following ban areas:

  • Bland Bay/Teparapara
  • Bream Head/Ocean Beach
  • Matapouri estuaries
  • Mimiwhangata Coastal Park
  • Ngunguru Sandspit Coast/Horahora
  • One Tree Point
  • Ruakaka
  • Waipu
  • Whananaki

Summer time beach ban

Additionally, except for year round exercise areas at Ruakaka North and Uretiti, dogs are banned from all beaches between 9am and 5pm from 20 December to 31 January.

There are a range of dog ban areas on our coast. The bans exist to protect the unique wildlife in these areas.

Dogs are not allowed in the following areas:

Bland Bay Teparapara:

  • on the beach
  • from the northern promontory of Teparapara Bay around North Head Scenic Reserve to the northern end of Bland Bay at intersection where the sand meets the rock outcrop
  • around Motokauri Island

Bland Bay Teparapara(PDF, 119KB)

Bream Head, Ocean Beach:

  • on the foreshore or beaches.
  • from the Urquharts Bay car park around the Bream Head reserve coast to the southern end of Ocean Beach adjacent to the rocks opposite Bream Islands.
  • from the northern promontory on main use beach to the northern extremities opposite Awaroa rock.

 Bream Head / Ocean Beach(PDF, 94KB)

Matapouri:

  • on the beach - and all estuarine areas upstream of both Matapouri bridges (western side of the road).

Matapouri(PDF, 88KB)

Mimiwhangata Coastal Park:

  • on the beach or offshore islands - from Taiwawe Bay to Pareparea Bay.
  • around Rimiriki and Wide Berth Islands.

Mimiwhangata(PDF, 87KB)

Ngunguru, Hora Hora:

  • on the foreshore or beaches including Ngunguru Sandspit.
  • from the sign and post at the western edge of Ngunguru River Public Reserve on the south side of the Ngunguru river/estuary, around the peninsular to the southern side of the Horahora River mouth, including the Horahora River estuary.

Ngunguru / Horahora(PDF, 106KB)

One Tree Point:

  • on the foreshore or beach.
  • from the edge of the Marsden Point Oil Refinery, along Marsden Bay, past the Marsden Cove Marina to the end of the beach.

One Tree Point(PDF, 104KB)

Ruakākā:

  • estuary and wildlife areas - from the Ruakaka estuary mouth up to Biller Road and where the estuary intersects with State Highway 1.
  • includes shaded water areas.

Ruakaka Wildlife Refuge(PDF, 83KB)

Waipū:

  • on the beach and river estuary at Uretiti.
  • from the Tip Road beach entrance south to the northern end of Camp Waipū Cove, back around the western side of the Waipū Wildlife Refuge to the northern side of the Waipū River mouth.
  • includes the shaded water areas.

Waipū Wildlife Refuge(PDF, 126KB)

Whananaki:

  • from the Whananaki pedestrian bridge on the southern side of the Whananaki estuary and on to the open coast to Pitokuku Point and along Otamure Bay.
  • includes all beaches.

Whananaki(PDF, 94KB)

Dogs are allowed in approved conservation areas.

To find out more information and to view the guidelines, see the Department of Conservation website:

Department of Conservation

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