09 October 2026
Fine, then low cloud or fog at night. Southerlies dying out early evening.
8° / 20°
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Invercargill City
Te Araroa trail section: Walk the length of Oreti Beach, easiest at mid or low tide
Distance
31.4 km
Walking time
1 day
Difficulty
Easy
Dogs
Not allowed
Wheelchair access
Not marked friendly
Current status
No active alerts found. Conditions can still change, so check again before leaving.
Weather outlook
Issued 9 Oct 2026, 7:36 pm
09 October 2026
Fine, then low cloud or fog at night. Southerlies dying out early evening.
8° / 20°
10 October 2026
Low cloud or fog in the morning and again at night, otherwise partly cloudy with the odd shower. Easterlies for a time in the afternoon.
9° / 20°
11 October 2026
Fine, but becoming cloudy in the evening. Northerlies, turning southwesterly in the afternoon.
8° / 21°
12 October 2026
Fine. Northwesterlies developing in the morning.
10° / 22°
13 October 2026
A few showers becoming widespread in the afternoon. Northwesterlies, dying out in the evening.
7° / 19°
Regional guidance only; elevation and terrain can produce different conditions.
Explore the area
Explore the track route and surrounding area before you set out.
Oreti Beach Track - 30.2km At the eastern end of the bridge on SH99/Palmerston St, continue on to walk the main street of Riverton where you'll find a shop and a handful of cafes. After 600m you'll take a right on Princess St, which you'll follow for 1km to turn left onto Oreti Beach About 4 hours (12km) into the journey, walkers need to ford the mouth of Waimatuku Stream. This crossing can be difficult at high tide but is straightforward at mid to low tide. Plan your approach accordingly. It is then a further 10km walk along the beach to the Dunns Road exit, which becomes visible at a gap in the dunes. There is a power pole here with a streetlight attached. Follow Dunns Road for 7km towards Invercargill and another 2km once Dunns Road becomes Stead Street, which crosses the estuary towards Tweed Street, and the start of Invercargill’s CBD where you'll find accommodation, shops, etc. The section ends over the road bridge where the Rotary Club’s Stead Street Wharf Walkway begins on the right-hand side.
Potential hazards Vehicles on road or track Tides, waves and rivers – safer at low tide River crossings – never cross flooded rivers Track exposed to sun, wind or cold Weather extremes Few water sources
Northern Start: Junction of SH99 Princess Street, Riverton Southern End: Stead Street, Invercargill Invercargill - Getting there/away Invercargill Airport - Flights to all main centres. Approximate $25 taxi fare from city centre Riverton Freight - slack packing for north bounders. If you would like a lighter pack for the walk from Invercargill to Riverton ODF Transport run a truck from Invercargill to Riverton, Monday to Friday, leaving Invercargill each day at 12:30pm. Also the Riverton Freight Van runs from Invercargill to Riverton, Monday to Friday, leaving Invercargill at 10.30am and 3.30pm. Danyon Cleaver, 027 236 9753 Bus options to Dunedin, Te Ānau and Queenstown: All buses arrive and depart from Tuatara Lodge InterCity - P: 03 365 1113 Atomic Shuttles - P: 03 349 0697 Catch a Bus South - www.catchabussouth.com - offer transport options from Invercargill to/from Bluff, Queenstown and Dunedin, 7 days per week, with multiple times to/from Bluff each day. We also offer personalized tours of the idyllic Catlins area, which really is our third “Jewel in the Crown” for Southland, along with Stewart Island and Milford Sound. These are on request with booking in advance.
Invercargill General information Invercargill Public toilets facilities in Wachner Place (next to Tuatara Lodge) have: Showers / towel hire / bag storage Bus transit lounge to wait for buses. Before starting Te Araroa either as a through-walker of the whole country or a section walker, please register on Te Araroa website . Please also visit the website or download the app for detailed maps, trail alerts and other relevant information. This track is part of the Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa track database. Herenga ā Nuku has maps and advice about public access to the outdoors . We encourage you to continue gaining the skills and knowledge required for a safe trip. The NZ Mountain Safety Council has lots of free resources and information you can use. These can be accessed via www.mountainsafety.org.nz . We recommend trying these online learning tools: Trip Planning Tramping/field Skills Basic Navigation River Safety Additionally, check out the range of helpful videos available from the NZ Mountain Safety Council YouTube channel .
Potential hazardsVehicles on road or track Tides, waves & rivers - safer at low tide River crossings - Never cross flooded rivers Track exposed to sun, wind or cold Weather extremes Few water sources
Track information, access and weather can change. Confirm current alerts and land-manager information close to departure, tell someone your plans, and carry equipment appropriate for the route and conditions.