Last updated October 2026
Ongare Point is a small settlement on a headland in the upper Tauranga Harbour, near Katikati and across the water from Matakana Island, about 27 kilometres from the Tauranga city centre in a straight line. Its harbour beach sits at the end of Ongare Point Road, with a playground and public toilets close to the water.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council tests the water weekly from October to March as one of its Tauranga Harbour swimming sites.
The site has a Fair long-term grade on LAWA: the water is usually fine for swimming, but results drop after rain, and 90% of tests over six summers were suitable. The point also has a significant Māori history and links to the coastal walk at Kauri Point.
Swimming Facts
Before you swim: Tested weekly Oct–Mar by Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Stay out for 48 hours after heavy rain. Latest result on LAWA
Today at Ongare Point
Monday 26 OctoberWater quality track record
What the grades mean
Excellent and Good: rarely unsafe for swimming. Fair: usually fine, but avoid swimming after rain. Poor: often unsuitable, especially after rain, so check the latest result first.
Grades use LAWA’s method: the 95th percentile of routine enterococci results over the five summers from 2020/21 to 2024/25, with at least 50 tests (318 per 100 mL from 112 tests).
Practical Information
- Location
- End of Ongare Point Road, off Kauri Point Road, near Katikati, in the upper Tauranga Harbour
- Distance from Tauranga
- About 27 km from the city centre in a straight line
- Water
- Tidal harbour beach. Nearest tide station: Waihi Beach (secondary port of Tauranga)
- Water quality
- Fair (LAWA long-term grade, summers 2020/21 to 2024/25): avoid swimming after rain
- Testing
- Weekly from October to March by Bay of Plenty Regional Council
- Facilities nearby
- Playground and public toilets within about 100 m of the beach
- Walk
- Links to the Kauri Point Historic Reserve walkway (80 minutes return; part currently closed)
About Ongare Point
Ongare Point is one of several low headlands that reach into the upper Tauranga Harbour south-east of the Katikati Entrance, looking across to Matakana Island. The settlement is small and quiet, reached by Ongare Point Road, which branches off Kauri Point Road near Katikati.
At the end of the road the land meets the harbour at a small beach, with a playground and toilets close by. Because the beach is inside the harbour, it is sheltered from ocean swell, and the tide shapes how much water there is for swimming.
Ongare Point shares its name with Ōngare pā, a pā near Katikati that features in a well-documented episode of 1842.
According to the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography on Te Ara, the Hauraki leader Tāraia Ngākuti Te Tumuhuia had received letters from Ngāi Te Rangi chiefs of Tauranga that included an insulting message, rekindling long-standing hostility between the two peoples. He led a war party of 50 men up the Waihou River and over the ranges to Tauranga, arriving at nightfall.
Ōngare pā near Katikati was taken by surprise, and the chief Te Whanake and a number of his followers were killed and captives taken.
The attack had consequences well beyond the harbour. Te Ara records that the victims belonged to a Christian settlement, and that the government sent the chief protector of aborigines, George Clarke, with Bishop Selwyn, and later the colonial secretary Willoughby Shortland, to investigate.
Tāraia accepted Shortland’s terms for a settlement, which included the sale of the disputed land near Katikati to the Crown. The episode prompted debate among officials on the use of force and led to a Colonial Office ruling that Māori were to be considered British subjects.
Today Ongare Point is a place for a quiet swim at high tide, a picnic and play at the reserve, or a walk.
The neighbouring Kauri Point Historic Reserve is known for its large pohutukawa along the shore, a wooden jetty that runs 200 metres out into the harbour and is popular for fishing, and several pā fortification sites. The council’s walk through the reserve can be extended down along the shore to the end of Ongare Point Road.
Swimming and Water Quality at Ongare Point
Bay of Plenty Regional Council samples Tauranga Harbour at Ongare Point every week from October to March and publishes the results on LAWA’s Can I Swim Here? pages. The council lists Ongare Point among its estuarine and harbour swimming sites.
The site has a Fair LAWA long-term grade, based on 112 routine tests over the summers of 2020/21 to 2024/25. Across 146 tests between October 2019 and March 2025, 90% were suitable for swimming.
A Fair grade means the water is usually fine but can carry higher levels of bacteria after rain, when runoff from the land reaches the harbour. The worst summer in the record was 2022/23, when five of 27 tests were unsuitable for swimming.
Check the latest result on LAWA before you swim, and stay out of the water for at least 48 hours after heavy rain.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council advises avoiding swimming for two to three days after heavy or prolonged rain, and keeping away from places where contamination is likely, such as stormwater or wastewater outlets. Any current health warnings are posted by Toi Te Ora Public Health.
This is a tidal harbour beach, so plan to swim around high tide, when there is enough depth close to shore. Boats use this part of the harbour, so stay close to the beach and keep a close eye on children in the water.
Getting There and the Kauri Point Walk
From Tauranga, drive north on State Highway 2 to Katikati, then follow Kauri Point Road towards the harbour and turn off onto Ongare Point Road to reach the beach at the end. To walk the Kauri Point Historic Reserve track, the council says to go to the end of Kauri Point Road and turn right.
The full walk takes about 80 minutes return and can finish along the shore at the end of Ongare Point Road. The council currently lists the northern section from the historic pā as closed, with the southern section from the boat ramp to the historic pā open, so check its track page first and take care around the cliff edges.
Where to Learn More
LAWA and Bay of Plenty Regional Council: the latest Can I Swim Here? result and long-term grade for Tauranga Harbour at Ongare Point.
Western Bay of Plenty District Council: the Kauri Point Historic Reserve walk, with directions and current track closures.
Te Ara: Dictionary of New Zealand Biography: the biography of Tāraia Ngākuti Te Tumuhuia, including the 1842 attack on Ōngare pā.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you swim at Ongare Point?
Yes. Ongare Point is one of Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s monitored Tauranga Harbour swimming sites. It has a Fair grade, so check LAWA first, swim around high tide and stay out for at least 48 hours after heavy rain.
What is the water quality like at Ongare Point?
The site has a Fair LAWA long-term grade for summers 2020/21 to 2024/25. Of 146 tests between October 2019 and March 2025, 90% were suitable for swimming. Results are more likely to be poor after rain.
When is the water at Ongare Point tested?
Bay of Plenty Regional Council samples the site weekly from October to March, and the results are published on LAWA.
What facilities are at Ongare Point?
There is a playground and public toilets close to the beach at the end of Ongare Point Road.
Is Ongare Point tidal?
Yes. It is a harbour beach, so the depth near shore changes with the tide. The nearest tide station is Waihi Beach, a secondary port of Tauranga.
What is the history of Ongare Point?
The point shares its name with Ōngare pā near Katikati, which was attacked by a Hauraki war party led by Tāraia Ngākuti Te Tumuhuia in 1842. The chief Te Whanake and several followers were killed.
Is there a walk near Ongare Point?
Yes. The Kauri Point Historic Reserve walk, about 80 minutes return, can finish along the shore at the end of Ongare Point Road. Part of the track is currently closed, so check the council page first.
How far is Ongare Point from Tauranga?
Ongare Point is about 27 kilometres from the Tauranga city centre in a straight line, reached from State Highway 2 at Katikati via Kauri Point Road.
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