The Smugglers Bay Loop Track has to be one of the best easy walks in Whangarei. There’s a little bit of everything with spectacular views, a fantastic white sand beach, WWII history and some great coastal forest too.
You could complete the walk in an hour and a half, or spend a whole afternoon stopping for a picnic and a dip at the beach. There is little in the way of climbing and the track is easy going aside from a few muddy sections if walking after heavy rain.
Here’s everything you need to know about Smugglers Bay, one of the best places to visit in Whangarei.
Visiting Smugglers Bay
The potential routes
There are three potential options for visiting Smugglers Bay. The first is to head there directly which is only around 15 minutes each way.
The second is a 3km loop track and the third a 5km loop track.
We set off on the shorter loop but somehow ended up doing the 5km version, which we were grateful for in the end because it’s a fantastic walk. If you have time we’d recommend the longer loop and that’s the one we’ll be describing below.
The Smugglers Bay Loop Track
The stats
Distance: 5.1km loop
Elevation: 240m
Difficulty: Easy
The Smugglers Bay Loop Track is an easy walk. There are a few hills to climb and a few muddy sections after rain, but the track doesn’t have any tricky terrain or prolonged steep sections.
We took our time and completed it in 1.5 hours.
Starting the trail: around the headland
From the car park the walk heads through farmland on a dirt path. If it’s been wet, this section is going to be pretty muddy. You will definitely want decent shoes because it’s not just hikers churning up the mud, but livestock too.
The mud still couldn’t detract from the beauty of the area though, with craggy headlands and some gorgeous harbour views. Even in the rain and under a grey sky it was beautiful.
After 150m you’ll see a signpost pointing left for Smugglers Bay, don’t take this turn as this is the direct route over to the beach (unless you want to start with the beach but we preferred to end there).
The next 750m of dirt track takes you around the grassy knob with great views over the water and bobbing boats. This section of trail is muddy, by far the muddiest of the track.
After a few hundred metres we used a higher trail along the knoll to avoid the worst of the mud bath. If you’re hiking during warm dry weather it will no doubt be much better than our wet winter walk!
After 1km (from the start of the trail) you’ll reach the WWII gun emplacements, the Bream Head Gun Battery. You can see the remnants of the the battery which was operational between 1942 and 1943 - although luckily the only shots that ever needed to be fired here were three tests.
The walk to this point is all either flat or very gently uphill.
Continuing on to Busby Head
From the gun emplacements the track continues gently uphill and you happily leave all the mud behind! The narrow dirt path becomes a wider gravel one and the views out to the ocean on the right are magnificent.
A few palms sway in the breeze and there is a small picturesque island out at sea. You’ll then climb a short hill which is made easy by the sloping switchbacks and the lofty views continue.
At the top of the hill, the 1.8m mark, there is a signpost and you head right towards Smugglers Bay. The track will take you through a section of bushland which is absolutely teeming with playful fantails.
They were flitting between the trees on both sides of the track and sometimes jumping along the path directly in front of you to the point that you needed to keep an eye on your feet!
A few hundred metres later the path flattens and there are some great open views out to sea. You’ll then start descending on an easy well maintained path until you hit a junction 600m later.
From here you can continue on for 250m to the top of Busby Head, or head left directly to Smugglers Bay.
The short detour to Busby Head is all uphill, albeit not overly steep, and the path is a little less manicured, but it is so worth it. The views along this stretch were my favourite of all the track.
Although the top of Busby Head is slightly bushy, the section before it offers spectacular views over Smugglers Bay and the surrounding hills. In the sunshine the water sparkles indigo with a hint of turquoise.
Smugglers Bay and completing the loop
Once back at the junction you’ll turn right towards Smugglers Bay which is just 750m away. You’ll pass a rocky beach before climbing a couple of staircases to get over to the bay.
It’s a gorgeous beach with pristine sand and plenty of space to spread out - which we didn’t need in winter as there was no one else around, but I imagine must get busier in the warmer months!
It’s nice and sheltered and would make a great place to stop for a dip, especially as it’s just a short walk back to the car park from here to complete the loop.
The walk from the beach heads uphill, but not steeply, through a field of cows before flattening out as you head towards Urquharts Bay. The views are fantastic and it’s a very easy end to the walk.
All in all, the Smugglers Bay Loop is a great walk with lots of variety, stand out views and gentle enough to be counted as a pretty leisurely stroll.
If you’re looking for something a bit more exerting you might want to try nearby Mount Manaia which we did after walking this track, and the combination is a great half day’s walking.
Getting to Smugglers Bay
All routes to Smugglers Bay start from the Urquhart Bay car park, where there is free and unlimited parking, as well as toilet facilities. It’s 35km and roughly a 40 minute drive from Whangarei along a very scenic road.
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