Te Matau a Pohe bridge

Te Matau a Pohe is opened on a scheduled basis at 12:00pm 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

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 2025, summer hours are from Sunday 28 September 2025 to Saturday 4 April 2026.

Summer operating hours:

• Monday to Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm and 6:00pm to 7:00pm
• Saturday and 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 2026, winter hours are from Sunday 5 April 2026 to Saturday 26 September 2026.

Winter operating hours:

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

During normal operating hours, our target response time is five 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 call ahead to book a time.

For bookings, our target response time is within five 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 the electronic notice board on the face of bridge at all times for messages and instructions. 

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

Both Te Matau a 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 a 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

Celebrating 10 years

July 2023 marked 10 years since the opening of Te Matau a Pohe.

As well as being a vital link between communities, the bridge has enabled dozens of attractions and activities around the popular Hātea Loop area, which gets thousands of visitors every season. 

Te Matau a Pohe carries an average of around 11,000 vehicles per day, well ahead of its forecast 8,000. It lifts to allow boats to pass around five times per day, and made its 20,000th lift in 2023. 

10-year Anniversary Booklet(PDF, 673KB)