Tolaga Bay Wharf

Tolaga Bay Wharf runs 660 metres out into the bay, which makes it the longest in New Zealand, and the reason is simple: the bay shelves so gradually that coastal ships could not get near the shore, so between 1926 and 1929 the district built a wharf long enough to reach water deep enough to load wool, maize and stock. Coastal shipping ended in the 1960s and the wharf lost its purpose; the concrete then deteriorated badly and would have been demolished had a local trust not raised money to restore it in stages, which is still going. Walking to the end takes about ten minutes each way and the structure is genuinely long enough that the shore looks distant. Fishing off it is a local institution. Cooks Cove, where the Endeavour watered in 1769, is a walkway from the southern end, closed for lambing in winter and spring.

Highlights

• The 660-metre walk - out far enough that the shore looks distant.
• The 1920s concrete - and the visible restoration work on it.
• The fishing - the wharf's main current use.
• Cooks Cove walkway - from the southern end, closed for lambing.

When to go

October to April. The Cooks Cove walkway is closed for lambing, usually August to October. It is exposed - check the wind before walking the length.

Practical notes

Sections have been under repair for years and access to the far end is occasionally restricted. It is fully exposed to wind. Tolaga Bay is a small town with limited services and SH35 is a long, slow road.

Nearby

Gisborne is south; the East Cape lighthouse and Raukokore are north on SH35.

Key facts