Tolaga Bay
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Tolaga Bay
Tolaga Bay has a small permanent population. Numbers increase greatly over summer and there are two camping grounds at the beach, one which is free, located directly behind the Surf Life Saving Club and a commercial camping ground which is located at the southern end of the beach. This means swimmers will be scattered over the whole length of the beach. Tolaga Bay has a Surf Life Saving Club that patrols weekends and public holidays during summer. Swimmers need to be aware of the hazards around the wharf and also the large Uawa Rivermouth.
Ratings
Activities and facilities
Activities
- Canoeing/kayaking
- Dog walking
- Horse riding
- Shell fish gathering
- Wind/kite surfing
Facilities
- Car parking
- Public toilets
- Shower
Forecast provided by SwellMap.com
Tides
Safety at Tolaga Bay
We want you to have a great time whilst visiting Tolaga Bay. But take a moment to learn more about being safe on New Zealand Beaches. More ►
Patrolled Beach

Stay safe - swim beween the flags.
Patrol Hours
Patrol times for this beach vary, please check with the local club & always swim between the red & yellow flags
Hazards
Click a safety symbol for more information on the risk
4 simple rules to keep you safe
We want you to have a great time whilst visiting Tolaga Bay. But take a moment to learn more about being safe on New Zealand beaches and looking out for each other. More ►
The Water Safety Code:
- Be prepared
- Watch out for yourself and others
- Be aware of the dangers
- Know your limits
Location
Tolaga Bay is on State Highway 35 and is situated 56 kilometres north east of Gisborne. The township is on the north bank of the Uawa River near the rivermouth. Tolaga Bay’s most unique feature is the concrete wharf which was completed in 1929 and is New Zealand’s longest. The wharf is located at the southern end of the beach. There is also a camping ground at the south end of the beach. Crossing the bridge going north, leads to the northern end of the beach where Tolaga Bay Surf Life Saving Club is located. Three quarters of the top floor of Tolaga Bay Surf Club was destroyed in a recent storm. Directly behind the Surf Club is the Tolaga Bay Golf course and just north of this is a free camping ground.
Public Transport
Train: Yes
Beach Water Quality
The Overall Recreation Risk is a guide to give a general picture of water quality at a site. Updated annually, it is calculated from bacteria (enterococci) data collected over the last three years. The Overall Recreation Risk indicator is a precautionary approach to managing health risk and is not designed to represent health risk on a particular day. As such, a site can have an Overall Recreation Risk of ‘Caution’ but still be suitable for swimming some of the time.
Overall recreation risk
The long term risk status based on three years of data
- There is not enough data to generate a recreational risk grade.
Many councils also provide the results of their weekly monitoring. This lets people know what the most recent bacteria levels were. Remember, even sites with low risk can be unsuitable to swim at from time to time and we recommend that you avoid swimming for 48 hours after heavy rainfall.
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