Mangawhai Estuary Swim

Last weekend, a couple of our Bay2Bay members who live a ways out of Auckland invited the group up for the weekend. I had too much else going on, so carpooled up with a van load for just a morning swim.

Mangawhai Heads is a dramatic rocky promontory (and a village of the same name) about an hour and a half north of Auckland. We swam 6 km up the estuary on the tide, which took about an hour and a half of not working very hard. It’s definitely fun to swim with the tidal push… it feels like walking fast on the moving sidewalk at the airport.

There were big sand dunes, deep parts with fish followed by spots so shallow we had to walk a bit… fun and different! Here’s a map, as I note that Google directions doesn’t include swimming amongst its modes of transport.

At the end, we carefully climbed up the boat ramp (sharp oyster shells ouch!!) and changed clothes in somebody’s backyard. I got the feeling that life for many Mangawhai Heads residents is sort of like being in a co-op: hey later on we’re gonna use your house for the swimmers ok?

And then … all within 100 metres of leaving the water… we wandered through the Saturday outdoor market and had a drink at the tavern (one of the non-swimming spouses who got roped into driving the shuttle car with all the gear asked how to find the tavern. “There’s only one” was all the answer needed).

Then a BBQ lunch and home in time for the rest of the day. Wonderful!