Marsden Cross Track
Alerts
Check the DOC website for current alerts and conditions before you go. This site gets current alert info from DOC, but is not an official source of information.
This walk, suitable for kids, leads across farmland to the site of the first mission settlement in New Zealand.
Elevation
Cover mapped summer 2023/24.
Description
From the stile at the roadside, the track leads you through farmland to Oihi Bay and the Marsden Cross. This stone monument marks the first mission settlement and first Christian service conducted in New Zealand.
Once at Oihi Beach, there is a small stream to cross, which runs dry most of the year.
You can also take a short bushwalk through the remnants of New Zealand’s first European orchard to another memorial commemorating one of New Zealand’s pioneering families, the Hansens.
Getting there
Marsden Cross Track is within the Rangihoua Heritage Park, 36 km from Kerikeri and signposted from Rangihoua Road. Turn off Rangihoua Road, and travel 2.8 km along Oihi Road to the start of the track.
You can also access the other end of the track from the sea, towards the western end of the beach.
Know before you go
- No dogs or fires due to risks to wildlife, especially kiwi.
- Before leaving for your walk, make sure your vehicle is locked and any valuables out of sight.
Weather
Forecast at the start of the track