Construction is now well underway at Ōkara Marina in Whangārei, marking the beginning of a long-anticipated new chapter for the region’s marine infrastructure. After years of planning, consenting, and some community contention, the first stage — M Pier — is expected to be complete by late July 2025. This is the first step in the Whangārei Harbour Marina Management Trust’s (WHMMT) $20 million investment into a new 115-berth facility.
Located on Port Road, just downstream of the Te Matau a Pohe bascule bridge, the marina sits on a prime upper Hātea River site. It’s within walking distance of the Town Basin and just minutes from the airport, positioning it as a strategic gateway for domestic and international boaters heading for Northland’s cruising hotspots.
Berth licence sales have been strong since launch. Berths are offered on 28-year licences, and prices reflect the demand. An 18-metre catamaran berth was listed at $620,000, while a 20-metre monohull berth fetched $520,000, with larger spaces available by negotiation.
Liveaboards are welcome at Ōkara Marina — both berth licence holders and temporary visitors — provided marina rules are followed. The new facility building has been designed with long-term stays in mind. Toilets, showers, a laundry, and a spacious captain’s lounge with social seating are all included, along with an atrium pizza oven to encourage relaxed socialising. The current liveaboard fee is $145 per month for two people or a family.
The site’s location is hard to beat. Whangārei Harbour is a tranquil and protected boating environment offering excellent fishing, quiet bays, popular walking tracks, and on-water access to restaurants. From the marina, it’s approximately 13.5 nautical miles to the harbour entrance, with Cape Brett and the Bay of Islands just 50nm beyond, Great Barrier Island 42nm away, and Kawau Island 40nm across the Hauraki Gulf.
Ōkara Marina’s footprint features depths ranging from –1m to –3m below chart datum, which means deeper berths offer 3.3m of water even at the lowest king tide. If needed, the existing Resource Consent allows dredging to –3.5m below chart datum in the outer berths — offering flexibility for larger or deeper-draft vessels.
Access to fuel is straightforward. A commercial diesel pump is located 1.6nm downstream at the Mains 1 wharf corner, available 24 hours with credit card or authorised fuel card payment. Further out, at the mouth of the harbour in Marsden Cove, a fuel jetty provides both petrol and diesel alongside a public boat ramp and retail centre. Payment there is available via EFTPOS, credit card, or BP fuel card, also 24/7.
Ōkara Marina will join WHMMT’s existing portfolio, which includes the Town Basin Marina (200 berths) and Kissing Point (100 moorings), bringing the Trust’s total capacity to more than 400 berths — the largest marina operation in Northland. The area is also surrounded by full-service marine businesses, including boatyards and refit providers, making it especially appealing to long-term cruisers and international visitors needing work done.
The WHMMT is positioning the project as both a strategic infrastructure addition and a long-term investment opportunity in a region with constrained marina capacity. So far, the market seems to agree.
As construction of M Pier continues in the months ahead, attention will turn to how the marina integrates into the surrounding harbour environment, how it meets the expectations of early buyers and visitors, and whether it can live up to its promise of becoming a world-class base for cruisers arriving from across the Pacific.
Once completed, Ōkara Marina is set to become a cornerstone of Whangārei’s growing reputation as a leading marine destination in New Zealand — both economically and as a lifestyle hub.
