The views from the top of St Paul’s Rock (Ohakiri Pa) in Whangaroa are jaw-dropping. The captivating rocky outcrops and bays of Whangaroa Harbour are reminiscent of limestone karst areas in Southeast Asia, and are the kind of view you just can’t take your eyes off. You’ll also see a small island, picturesque marina and plenty of rolling hills.
Heading up here for sunset only adds to the magic and as it’s such a short climb, it’s a really easy win.
Here’s everything you need to know about climbing St Paul’s Rock.
Climbing St Paul’s Rock (Ohakiri Pa)
The stats
Distance: 700m each way
Elevation: 135m
Difficulty: Easy-moderate
The St Paul’s Rock Track
The track begins heading along a narrow dirt path beside a field, you can see the rock right from the off and it looks much further away than it actually is.
It’s not long before you start the climb and there are already some lovely water views.
If there’s been a lot of heavy rain the path does get quite muddy, which can be a little slippery so we were glad we’d opted to wear boots despite it being such a short trail. It would be easy in dry weather but worth watching your step if it’s been very wet.
As the path climbs you’ll pass through a couple of stiles and then the track gets steeper. There are mud steps worn into the path which give you some good foot placements to get up more easily.
After 450m the track gets even steeper and you can see St Paul’s Rock looming over you. It’s a wide grassy path that narrows as you begin making your way around the side of the rock.
There are a couple of rocks to climb over but it’s generally very easy.
The views are already superb so if you don’t like the look of the very last section of track to the top of the rock - which involves a short scramble - you will still have seen some really beautiful views.
After 600m (from the start of the track) you will reach the chains. Just before it, there is a very short rocky section to climb up which in ordinary circumstances would be nothing to write home about but does get very slippery when wet.
The chained part of the track is very short, taking just a couple of minutes and allows you to get up a steep section with the added security of the chains.
There are plenty of footholds and even when wet it was a little slippery but ok due to the chains.
Once you are past the chained section, you’ll be back on a normal path and have just a couple of minutes walk up to the trig point.
The top of St Paul’s Rock
The views from the top are sublime, looking out to the stunning forested rocky outcrops and gorgeous blue water.
There’s no doubt it would be a mesmerising view at any time of day but sunset added a special touch. Even though it was relatively overcast on our visit we still got a bit of colour and some great light rays.
Whilst sunset doesn’t happen directly over the bays, it sets behind the island and marina which is also a really beautiful scene. There’s plenty of rocks to sit on at the top so you can relax and just enjoy the show.
We hiked up on a Sunday and expected there to be at least a handful of other people but amazingly we had the whole summit to ourselves. It was such a memorable experience.
You are fully exposed to the elements up there so I’d recommend having an extra layer even in summer incase the wind kicks up.
All in all the walk up St Paul’s Rock has to be one of the best effort to reward ratios of any walk in Northland and probably even the whole North Island. The view really is that good!
Hiking down
The hike down is steep in places and I’d say the chains are slightly more challenging going down than up - it’s best to go backwards for greater stability but it’s really only a few strides and you’re back on the normal path.
From here there are footholds in all the steeper sections and the only real difficulty is as mentioned, if it’s muddy.
Even then if you take it slow it’s not too bad, much better than some other muddy trails we’ve walked in the area!
If you’re looking for other things to do in the area, including more great hikes, we have you covered in this post.
Parking for the St Paul’s Rock Track
The trail begins at the end of the Old Hospital Road in Whangaroa. There’s no car park as such, more just a few areas where you can pull fully off the road. If it’s busy you might have to allow some extra time as you’ll have to park further down the road which will then be an additional uphill walk.
The access road is narrow and a bit windy but it’s sealed all the way.
If you’re not staying in Whangaroa, the trail is also fairly close to Kerikeri (35 minutes) and Mangōnui (25 minutes).
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, that we will earn a small commission if you click through and decide to make a purchase. This helps towards the costs of running our website. Thanks for your support!
