Mangawhai Heads

Site Information

⚠️ Important — Site Restrictions & Safety Warning

At the direction of the Northland Club, the following now apply at Mangawhai Heads, effective immediately:

Experienced, independent pilots only. This launch for experienced pilots actively transiting across to the Bream Tail area. It is not a site for low-airtime pilots, holding flights, or ridge soaring near the launch.
No commercial training or student flights. Training operations and low-altitude ridge "scratching" are not permitted.
This is a dangerous site. There have been several serious injuries here, including recent accidents. The launch looks benign from the ground, but the wind wraps around the corner and funnels up the valley, creating deceptive and demanding conditions.
If in any doubt about the conditions, do not launch. Contact the Northland Club site monitor first.

A guideline of PG2 + 40 hours is suggested as a bare minimum, but assessed experience and sound judgement of the conditions matter more than hours. Respecting these rules is what keeps this site open.

This is a Northland Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club site.
For the most up-to-date site information please refer to the Northland Club.

Take State Highway 1 via Wellsford and Te Hana, the turn off is 2 kilometres north of Te Hana.
From there follow sign posts for Mangawhai Heads, distance 26 kilometres.
Drive to Wintle Street and go all the way to the end, where there is a large car park and public toilets.
From the car park the track accessing launch starts on the left side of the road near a concrete water tank.
Follow this track for about 200 meters northwards until it exits on the grassy rounded crown, about 160 feet above the beach.
See aerial at the bottom of this page.

Site Type

Coastal.

Landing

On the beach.

Council requirements prohibit landing on the public area of beach 300 meters in front of the Surf Lifesaving Club when any public are in this area.

The area south of the river mouth, ad including the dunes, is a protected Bird Sanctuary and off limits.

Weather and Wind Direction

North East, East

Mandatory Notices

No access is permitted through Bream Tail farm. The farmer here is hostile to pilots using his property.

Site Radio Channel

Channel 20 - 476.900MHz

Restrictions

Hang Gliding

HG Intermediate

Paragliding

PG2

Cautions

Should the wind be off to the south, care should be taken to double check direction as it often has the appearance of flowing directly up the face when in fact placement of a wind sock on the beach, will confirm the wind is very cross and is flowing around the corner of the ridge to the South.

Airspace

Flight ceiling is 6,500 foot A.S.L.

Immediately south of this site at the nearside rivers edge is Restricted Area R106. This extends from surface to 1000ft ASL.
This is to protect the critically endangered Tara Iti (Fairy Tern). Flying within this restricted area is a breach of Civil Aviation Rules, and the Wildlife Act 1953. Don't go there!
For more information on Tara Iti, see here: DOC website

Access Conditions

No access is permitted through Bream Tail farm, and the farmer here is hostile to pilots using his property.

Particular care should be taken with flammables, no cigarettes should be taken onto this site as there is a high fire risk in summer. Over the years, a number of fires started in the area of the lower dunes and swept through the entire area and into where many residences now exist.