Wood Bay

Wood Bay's sandy beach is completely surrounded by lush trees. There is a 126.24 km bike path that runs all the way to Whangateau, 2 parking lots and public bus stops close by. During low tide you can walk to the Opou Reserve and the Inaka Esplanade.

This beach is used mainly for kayaking and beach goers are encouraged to wear shoes as there are many pacific oyster shells on the beach that can cut your feet.

Auckland Council has deemed this water body "high risk" due to ongoing water quality issues. It is recommended you do not swim or participate in other recreational water activities at this location.

Get directions to this beach

COVID-19

Keep your distance from other people.

Practicing social distancing is essential right now. Follow the advice of the health experts. If your community has asked that you remain indoors and away from others, do so. Heading to the beach should only be considered an option if social distancing practices can be followed. Spending a day in any crowded place is the worst thing we can do for our most vulnerable right now and will counter the efforts to curb the virus’ spread.

For more information, please visit the World Health Organization public resource on COVID-19.

Water Quality

Special health or safety status in effect
Special Status
This means the affiliate organization managing a beach has set the beach status based on special local knowledge or information. Check the beach description and the Sources section for details.

For water quality icon legend, click:

Report Pollution

Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

Beaches in Auckland are monitored by Safeswim, a program which emerged out of a partnership between Auckland Council, Surf Life Saving Northern Region, and Auckland Regional Public Health Service. Safeswim forecasts water quality and real-time public health alerts and safety risks at 84 beaches and 8 freshwater locations around Auckland.

Safeswim uses predictive modelling to provide the public with real-time water quality and safety information. Predictive modelling allows Safeswim to forecast recreational water quality so that bathers and other recreational water users have better access to the current and future status of their beaches. This allows recreational water users to make better, more informed decisions about when and where to get in the water. Water quality predictions are made using statistical modelling. Models include historical and current water quality test results, as well as other environmental factors such as wind, rain, tides, and sewage events like CSOs. Safeswim’s models are updated every 10 minutes, and display results using 3 risk categories:

People are exposed to very low risk of infection from contact with the water. The beach’s water quality doesn’t present an immediate health risk to those in direct contact with it.

People are exposed to a low to moderate risk of infection from contact with the water. This is the minimum acceptable state. The beach’s water quality still meets an acceptable standard for swimming.

People are exposed to a moderate to high risk of infection from contact with the water. The beach’s water quality is considered unsuitable for swimming.

Swim Guide interprets these categories in our pass/fail system as:

Very low risk and low to moderate risk categories receive a GREEN/PASS in Swim Guide.

Moderate to high risk categories receive a RED/FAIL in Swim Guide.

The predictive models use New Zealand’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of the Environment’s Microbiological Water Quality Guidelines for Recreational Water. The Guidelines are:

Marine water : Single sample value > 140 Enterococcus / 100 ml
Freshwater : Single sample value > 260 E.coli / 100 ml

Water Quality Graph