Hātea river bridges: Te Matau ā Pohe and Kotuitui Whitinga

Te Matau ā Pohe is opened on a scheduled basis at 12 noon each day. Skippers are encouraged to make use of this time if tide conditions are suitable. 

Raising the bridge

Skippers can contact Bridge Control to request the bridge to be raised.  There is no charge for this service.

Boats waiting for the bridge to be raised can tie up to pontoons on either side of the bridge.

Vessels over 6.5m in height

Vessels over 6.5m in height (above water level) need to phone or radio a request to see if the bridge needs to be lifted. Skippers will be asked for their mast height.

Vessels 4m to 6.5m in height

Vessels under 6.5m height (above water level): contact bridge control to see if the bridge needs to lift. Skippers will be asked for their mast height. 

Bridge not raised during peak road traffic

The bridge will not be raised:

• during peak road traffic periods from Monday to Friday between
  • 7:00am to 9:00am
  • 4:00pm to 6:00pm
• when wind speeds exceed 34 knots (gale force wind conditions).

Channel access

While many boats will be able to pass under the bridge without requiring the bridge to be opened, skippers of boats over 2.5m in height can contact Bridge Control to have the bridge opened.  There is no charge for this service.

Kotuitui Whitinga is opened on a scheduled basis at 11:30am each day.  Skippers are encouraged to make use of this time if tide conditions are suitable.

Boats waiting for the bridge to be opened can tie up to mooring piles on either side of the bridge.

Boats under 2.5m in height will not need the bridge to be opened.

The bridge will not be opened in gale force wind conditions.

Preference given to incoming or outgoing vessels varies daily and will be indicated by bridge control.

The bridge has two operating schedules, one for summer and one for winter. 

Summer schedule

The summer schedule begins when daylight saving begins in September and finishes when daylight saving ends in April. 

In 2023, summer hours will end on 2 April 2023. They will start again on 24 September 2023 and will end 7 April 2024. 

In 2024, summer hours start on 29 September 2024 and will end 6 April 2025. 

Operating hours

• Monday - Friday:  9:00am to 4:00pm and 6:00pm to 7:00pm
• Saturday - Sunday:  7:00am to 7:00pm

Winter schedule

The winter schedule begins when daylight saving ends in April and finishes when daylight saving starts in September.

In 2023, winter hours will start on 2 April 2023 and end on 23 September 2023.

In 2024, winter hours start on 7 April 2024 and will end 29 September 2024. 

Operating hours

• Monday - Friday:  9:00am to 4:00pm
• Saturday - Sunday:  8:00am to 5:00pm

Te Matau ā Pohe lifting time changes

The lifting times at Te Matau ā Pohe will be changing to fit better with changes to the peak road traffic time.  

From 1 March the bridge will be closed to boats for a bit longer at peak times to allow faster clearing of heavier road traffic.

During normal operating hours our target response time is 5 minutes for the bridge to be raised from the time a request is received by bridge control. 

Outside of normal operating hours, the service is on-call and we have a target response time of 30 minutes from the time a request is received.

If you need the bridge to be raised outside of normal operating hours we encourage you to ring ahead to book a time.

For bookings our target response time is within 5 minutes of the agreed time (subject to the boat arriving on time). 

Waiting vessels can tie to the Marina Pontoons at each side of the bridge. To contact bridge control to open the bridge and for instructions. Wait for permission from bridge control on VHF before proceeding.

Watch electronic notice board on face of bridge at all times for messages and instructions. 

Guidance for visiting Northland's waters and marinas (nrc.govt.nz)

Both Te Matau ā Pohe and Kotuitui Whitinga can be lit up in beautiful colours at night time. This is a free service for organisations wanting to commemorate special events.

• Available to organisations only – not individuals or families.
• Events with regional, national or international significance will be given priority.
• Lighting changes must last at least two weeks due to installation time.
• Some colours, such as red and green, are not allowed for navigation safety.
• Due to Te Matau ā Pohe bridge being painted a grey colour, not all colours can be created.
• Kotuitui Whitinga has fewer colour restrictions.
• It is not always possible for us to accept every light colouring request.

Request coloured lighting on bridges