Although the vehicle entrance to the beach is cut off for the moment you can still get to the beach and river on foot. Note: the Horowhenua District Council maps below do not accurately show the current location of the river.
Options
1. Cross the footbridge to go into the privately owned land, then beside the dunes or through the dunes to head towards Kuku or get to the sea. Note: the private land owners have generously given permission for the public to use that area. Please treat it with extra respect.
2. Access the river bank from Drake Street, between numbers 24 and 26 — the walkway is shown as a thick black line on the map below. The green areas are public land. Or go in from beside the footbridge.
3. Enjoy Hank Edwards Reserve at the north end of Manga Pirau Street. Technically, as the map shows, there is public land beside the river parallel to Manga Pirau Street but it’s not really walkable.
4. Access the river and perhaps walk along to the beach near the groyne from the public walkway between numbers 47 and 49 Manga Pirau Street.
5. Access the beach south of the river by the two walkways off Reay Mackay Grove. The North track is between numbers 6 and 16, while the South Track is at number 60.
Notes
Horses are permitted use the public walkway between numbers 47 and 49 Manga Pirau Street. However in reality that track is not of any use to horse riders as the terrain is totally unsuitable and it effectively terminates in the river.
While Hank Edwards Reserve is accessible for people with mobility difficulties, none of the other tracks are in any meaningful way. The two tracks off Reay Mackay Grove may be suitable for people with mild mobility issues. The easier track of the two is the South Track. The area beside the river on the Drake Street side of the footbridge may also be OK for many.
With the recent spinifex planting, the Council have created an offshoot track from the North Track off Reay Mackay Grove, making it a little quicker and easier to reach the river mouth.
Motor vehicles are not permitted to use any of the pedestrian tracks.