Long Bay

Long Bay is a beachside suburb on the North Shore of Auckland in New Zealand, whose Long Bay Regional Park is a popular recreational attraction.

Understand
Long Bay features the Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve, part of which is a 1 km long swimming beach edging rural surrounds. There has been some controversy with proposals for building on the farmland near the beach.

There are a few scattered shops, but the nearest group of shops is in nearby Torbay. Long Bay has a primary school and a college. The urban area of Long Bay is very small and is generally considered to be part of Torbay, with the name Long Bay referring to the beach and park.

By car
From Auckland, head north on State Highway 1 (Northern Motorway) and take the Oteha Valley Rd off-ramp. Turn right and follow Oteha Valley Rd to the traffic lights. Go straight ahead into Carlisle Rd and follow the AA signs through Torbay to Long Bay. The park access road leads off Beach Rd. Distance from Auckland CBD: 30 km.

From north of Auckland, use the same exit on the Northern Motorway continuing onto Oteha Valley Rd to your left.

From the west, State Highway 18 (Upper Harbour Drive) will connect to the Northern Motorway.

During the summer months of January and February, the beach is very busy and it can be extremely difficult to find parking nearby. It is advisable to arrive early to get parking, or to park further away and finish the journey by bus (see below).

By bus
Auckland Transport is the local bus operator.

Get around
There is ample parking in the park if you have a car, otherwise walking is the preferred method. There is a bus stop at the entry to the park, but buses do not operate within.

Do
Park activities include: Boating, Diving, Dog walking, Kayaking, Orienteering, Paragliding, Picnics, Surfing, Swimming, Walks - nature and coastal.

Buy
There are no shops in the park, with exception of temporary ice cream stalls in summer. Torbay shops are just up the hill on Beach Road. For retail shopping, Browns Bay or the Albany Westfield are the closest.

Drink
The nearest pubs are in Browns Bay.

Connect
There are no internet facilities available at the park, but there are various scattered phone booths available for personal use (at cost) or for emergency calls (free).

Go next
If the tide is out, it is possible to walk around the rocks to the south to Waiake Beach, continuing to Browns Bay. Those who are especially keen can take this route all the way to Takapuna.