Several years ago, the original Wharf Trust Trustees asked Far North Holdings to improve the boat ramp carpark, a dusty metal surface, full of potholes, with no allocated trailer parks.

The ramp and carpark are owned by the Far North District Council, but managed by Far North Holdings Ltd, meaning the Council funds the repairs and maintenance from our rates. With so many visitors using the boat ramp being visitors, i.e. people not paying rates, FNHL applied for government funding on behalf of FNDC to get the repairs done, with the Council putting in 50%.

The application was successful, but by this time, the boat ramp also needed repair. The lower end of the ramp needed extending, so that boats could be retrieved on a low tide, without trailers dropping off the steep end, before reaching the right depth.  FNHL went back to ask if they could spend half the money on upgrading the ramp as well, and this approval took some time, with work starting back in May 2024.

The ramp and carpark is located on a Reserve, a Wahi Tapu where injured and dead were carried up the beach during the 1830 “Girls War”, a war between Northern and Southern alliances of Ngapuhi Hapū. A Kohatu (memorial stone) was put up by Kororāreka Marae back in 2014, but it was at risk of being hit by a reversing car and trailer, so protecting this area was also part of the project.

Three years after the original discussions with the Wharf Trust, the boat ramp and carpark upgrade were completed, just before the Yellowtail tournament. Feedback from boat owners was that it was a great improvement. The painted Pou around the Kohatu, done by local artist Trish Clifford installed around the Kohatu, along with planting, with a blessing in mid-June.

There was much discussion about the trailer-park markings, and how it might be possible to fit more cars with trailers into the available space, which was only very slightly wider than the original metal parking area. Vehicles towing boats need space to turn in from Kent St, and line up to back down the ramp, which means more than the first third of the space, in from the road, has to remain clear. A herringbone layout, was initially thought to provide more trailer parking, however, given the manoeuvring constraints, this proved not to be the case, and the original way that locals parked their trailers, in a row, along the end of the carpark, happened to be the optimal solution. Stack parking remains possible for boat owners who wish to coordinate retrieval times between themselves. There is nothing like local know-how!

There was also discussion about marking places for cars, despite multiple signs (ignored) stating that the reserve is for boat ramp users only. While it is possible to park along the shore edge, which some people still do, the area is not a designated carparking area. Marking lines for cars would be an invitation for people to park there, illegally, particularly campervans. This area has been left unmarked, to discourage casual parking.

As always, summer came, with the community of 750 swelling to around 5,000 and complaints of boat trailer parking hit social media despite the upgrades. Unfortunately, the reserve at the boat ramp is the size it is, and it can only accommodate a limited number of trailers, which works well for our community for the bulk of the year.

The Wharf Trust is pleased that this project has now been completed.