Taylor’s Bay

Rather unimaginatively named, Taylor’s Bay is arguably the most accessible and well provided for beach in Puketāpapa. There is plenty of nice white sand, a playground, a nice long grassed area, bushwalks heading over to Granny’s Bay and eventually there will be a boardwalk connecting it up to Taumanu Reserve.

Taylor’s Bay used to be fed by a stream coming down from Belfast Reserve and the street behind it was split into two. In the 20th Century, the stream was covered up and the road connected together – saving drivers a couple of minutes off their journey, but at what cost?

Getting there:

You can catch the 68 bus from Onehunga, 27H from the CBD and get off on Hillsborough Road at the top of Carlton Street. There’s a bit of a walk down, but the 68 route will eventually go down Carlton Street.

If you are driving, you can park on Bluff Terrace.

Taylor’s Bay Ranking:

Aesthetic:

At high tide, Taylor’s Bay is geeeee-orgeous. White sand, flanked by Pohutukawa trees, views over to Onehunga port. The water is OK – a little bit murky. However, the tide goes out quickly here and you will be knee-deep an hour and a half after high tide, not so nice.

3/5

Cleanliness:

Taylor’s Bay is well looked after. The grass area is kept well, rubbish is picked up quickly and the toilet is usually clean. The water itself can be a bit murky but overall, a fine place for a swim.

3/5

Accessibility:

Very easy. You can park right beside the beach. Public transport is about a 10 minute walk away too.

4/5

Amenities:

A toilet, drinking fountain, playground (including a sand laboratory), swings, and Kayak hire across the road. Great place to come with the whanau.

4/5

The ‘feel’

Taylor’s Bay is a good place to come with a group for an afternoon swim and picnic. It lacks some of the privacy of other beaches but the facilities here are arguably the best along the coast.

4/5

Total score:

18/25

Arguably the best spot for a whanau picnic along the coast. Swimming is pretty good – when the tide is in. If you have young kids or others who cant walk too far, this is probably your best bet.