Local notices to mariners Local notices to mariners
Notices to mariners cover events, local issues and infrastructure issues that may affect navigation in the Auckland region.
Local navigation aids warnings
Weekly local navigation warning summary: 11 November 2024 (PDF, 121KB)
For any enquiries, please contact harbourmaster@at.govt.nz
On this page: Local notices to mariners currently in force
- 46 – 24 NZ Defence Force live firing activity, South Kaipara
- 45 – 24 Distress signal training, Outboard Boating Club
- 44 – 24 Wēiti River channel half day closure
- 43 – 24 NZ Defence Force live firing activity, South Kaipara
- 41 – 24 Great Barrier Island temporary wharf closure Tryphena Harbour
- 39 – 24 Distress signal training, Bethells Beach
- 05 – 24 Te Wero lifting bridge – mechanical issues
- 03 – 24 Navigational hazard, sandbank shoaling, Whau River mouth
- 34 – 23 Marine farm development, Western Firth
- 30 - 23 O Mahurangi Penlink Weiti River bridge construction works
- 41 – 21 Great Barrier Island – no anchoring areas
- 19 – 21 Navigational hazard, sand bank shoaling, Tamaki River
- 57 – 19 Submerged pile in the approaches to Tramcar Bay Boatyard, Whangateau
- 32 – 19 Motuihe Wharf closure
- 28 – 18 Hobson Bay / Okahu Bay wave screen
- 22 – 17 Wairoa River fallen tree
- 08 – 17 Chart plotters (updated)
46 – 24 NZ Defence Force live firing activity, South Kaipara
All mariners are advised that the Kaipara Air Weapons Range will be activated from Monday 11 November to Friday 15 November 2024. Each day, the range will be active from 8am to 5pm.
The New Zealand Defence Force will be conducting explosive ordinance disposal. The area concerned is the land and sea at South Kaipara Head. It will be contained within a 4,500-metre radius circle centred on a position 36°28.453 South and 174°9.381 East. The area will be marked by flags on the beach and access roads, which will be patrolled. For their safety the Public are warned to stay well clear of the area during the periods of activation.
*Not to be used for navigation
Gareth Williams
Maritime Officer
Harbourmaster’s Office
45 – 24 Distress signal training, Outboard Boating Club
All mariners are advised that on Wednesday 11 December 2024, distress signal training will happen at 7 Tamaki Drive, Outboard Boating Club. The training will take place between 7pm and 8:30pm.
Distress signals to be used as the below:
| Number | Description |
| 30 | Handheld red distress flares |
| 2 | Orange smoke distress flares |
*Not to be used for navigation
Gareth Williams
Maritime Officer
Harbourmaster’s Office
44 – 24 Wēiti River channel half day closure
All mariners are advised that there will be temporary closures on the Weiti River as part of the O Mahurangi – Penlink project. Details of schedule and locations are in the map below. All mariners operating in this area, refer to the following message from the project team.
The bridge team are to relocate a 120t crane and drilling rig to the eastern staging prior to an upcoming closure in December. To do this, the temporary bridge will be put in place, closing the navigable channel at our worksite for half a day.
| Date | What to expect |
| Monday 4 November, from 7am to midday (1200 hours) | Navigable channel closed at the temporary staging worksite. |
| Back up day: Tuesday 5 November, from 7am to midday (1200 hours) | Navigable channel closed at the temporary staging worksite. |
Please note this work is very wind dependent and will be monitored in the days prior to the closure. If the forecasted wind speed is unfavourable, the day will change to the next suitable day. Should the wind unexpectedly increase during the operation, the bridge will stay in place until it has sufficiently dropped to within the safe lift limits. Also, if due to unforeseen circumstances this operation is delayed, it will be done on the next available day.
*Not to be used for navigation
The channel closure does not affect vessels navigating the river downstream of the worksite.
We remind all river users when using the navigable gap once re-opened to make contact via VHF Channel 73 to alert the project team of your intentions.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank all river users and neighbours for their patience during the ongoing construction of the new Wēiti River Bridge.
Should you have any questions in regard to these works, please don’t hesitate to contact Trish Viall, Stakeholder and Community Engagement Manager:
- mobile: 027 548 7474
- freephone: 0800 736 5465
- email: trish.viall@fultonhogan.com
Jason Son
Maritime Officer
Harbourmaster’s Office
43 – 24 NZ Defence Force live firing activity, South Kaipara
All mariners are advised that there will be live firing activities off South Kaipara Head during the period of 5 to 6 November 2024. The operations will be between 0600hrs and 1800hrs, weather permitted, and the area will be marked by flags on the beach and road access, which will be patrolled.
All mariners are advised to stay well clear of the area during the periods of activation.
Affected waterways are indicated in the diagram.
*Not to be used for navigation
Jason Son
Maritime Officer
Harbourmaster’s Office
41 – 24 Great Barrier Island temporary wharf closure Tryphena Harbour
Auckland Transport's wharf structure at Tryphena Harbour on Great Barrier Island will be closed to the public until May 2025. The wharf is closing while the marine contractor STF Limited undertakes wharf maintenance work.
All vessels are requested to keep clear of the wharf structure. You must keep your wake to a minimum when transiting the area.
*Not to be used for navigation
Bruce Goff
Maritime Officer
Harbourmaster’s Office
39 – 24 Distress signal training, Bethells Beach
On 1 November 2024, distress signal training will take place between 7pm and 9pm. The training will happen next to the surf club tower at Bethells Beach. The back-up location for poor weather is 260 Bethells Road, Te Henga.
Distress signals to be used:
| Number | Description |
| 4 | Handheld red distress flares |
| 2 | Orange smoke distress flares |
*Not to be used for navigation
Jason Son
Maritime Officer
Harbourmaster’s Office
05 – 24 Te Wero lifting bridge – mechanical issues
The Te Wero lifting bridge in the Viaduct Marina currently has mechanical issues and may not be able to fully lift as expected.
All vessels intending to navigate through the bridge span should navigate with caution and make an early call, prior to entering the buoyed approach channel on entry, to Viaduct Control on VHF Ch.73 for advice.
Please note that the double-span bridge lift is available if requested, for any reason at all (for example, size of vessel, wind strength, direction or skipper confidence). So please contact Viaduct Control early to discuss any requirements.
All mariners are advised to navigate with caution while operating in this area.
Christiaan Moss
Deputy Harbourmaster
Harbourmaster’s Office
03 – 24 Navigational Hazard, sandbank shoaling, Whau River mouth
All mariners are advised that there is shoaling on the western side of the channel,
near the Whau River Mouth. The location is identified with yellow, as below.
All mariners are advised to navigate with caution while operating in this area.
*Not to be used for navigation.
Christiaan Moss
Deputy Harbourmaster
Harbourmaster’s Office
34 – 23 Marine farm development, Western Firth
All mariners are advised that there will be marine farm development at Western Firth from 9 November 2023. The development includes the installation of navigation aids, mussel lines, and others. The site is located in YELLOW on the map below. All mariners are advised to navigate with caution while operating in this area.
*Not to be used for navigation
Jason Son
Maritime Officer
Harbourmaster’s Office
30 - 23 O Mahurangi Penlink Weiti River bridge construction works
All mariners are advised that construction of the O Mahurangi Penlink River Bridge will commence mid-September 2023 with the installation of temporary platforms built on the western and eastern banks of the Weiti River to facilitate the construction of the permanent Weiti River bridge. Work will involve pile drilling, vibing and hammering into the seabed.
A barge will operate between the two staging platforms providing materials to the work sites through to December 2026.
Passage through the Weiti River Bridge Construction Zone will remain open to mariners, however Weiti River closures are expected during the finally stages of the project build. All river closures will be notified prior to the planned works. Mariners are requested to keep wake to a minimum when transiting through the bridge construction zone for the safety of construction staff.
*Not to be used for navigation.
Bruce Goff
Maritime Officer
Harbourmaster’s Office
Notice: 41 – 21 Great Barrier Island – no anchoring areas
This notice replaces previous Local Notice to Mariners 39 – 21.
All mariners are advised that there are three no anchoring/closed areas on Great Barrier Island. The no anchoring areas are: Blind Bay, Whangaparapara and Tryphena Harbours. You can anchor with a permit from MPI, but not for any other reason.
There is guidance on the MPI page.
Please contact Ministry of Primary Industries for further details Ministry for Primary Industries.
*Not to be used for navigation.
Jason Son
Maritime Officer
Notice: 19 - 21 Navigational hazard, sandbank shoaling, Tamaki River
All mariners are advised that a sandbank, which is North of the No.15 marker in Tamaki River, is shoaling due to sand-building. Locations are identified as per below and the depth in the vicinity could be lower than charted depth.
All mariners are to navigate with additional caution while operating in this area.
*Not to be used for navigation.
Jason Son
Maritime Officer
Harbourmaster’s Office
57 - 19 Submerged pile in the approaches to Tramcar Bay Boatyard, Whangateau
The Harbourmaster has received reports of a submerged pile in the approaches to Tramcar Bay boat yard in the waters between Whangateau Harbour and Tramcar Bay.
All mariners are advised to navigate with extreme caution when operating in this area.
Not to be used for navigation.
Pulasthi Ranasinghe
Maritime Officer
32 - 19 Motuihe Wharf closure
All mariners are advised that the Department of Conservation has closed the Motuihe wharf due to public safety, the wharf will remain closed until further notice.
The Department is working closely with engineers to look at options available to remedy issues and re-open the wharf as soon as practicable.
The Department apologises for any inconvenience and will continue to keep the public informed as they seek solutions.
Updates will be provided on the DOC website and should you require further information, please contact the DOC hotline on 0800 362 468.
Map not to be used for navigation.
Pulasthi Ranasinghe
Maritime Officer
28 - 18 Hobson Bay/Okahu Bay wave screen
All mariners are advised to navigate with caution in the vicinity of the Hobson Bay/Okahu Bay derelict wave screen. Mariners are reminded that they should only navigate through the recognised entry/exit (as per chart NZ 5322).
Map not to be used for navigation.
Christiaan Moss
Deputy Harbourmaster
22 - 17: Wairoa River, fallen tree (upper reaches), 20 July 2017
All Mariners are advised that a large tree has fallen into the upper reaches of the Wairoa River, potentially impeding navigation.
GPS coordinates:
- Latitude 36°58’840
- Longitude 175°02’655
All mariners are advised to navigate with extreme caution in this area.
The map is not to be used for navigation.
Bruce Goff
Maritime Officer
08 - 17: Chart plotters - updated 14 March 2017
All mariners are reminded that electronic chart plotters are to be used as an aid to navigation and paper charts should be updated and consulted.
Electronic raster charts used on some plotters may not incorporate the latest chart corrections.
Mariners are reminded to use up to date charts for navigation and advised to contact their plotter supplier if in doubt.
Harbourmaster’s Office
Some images on this page are based on/include LINZ’s data which are licensed by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
Pest warning: Mediterranean fanworm
The Mediterranean fanworm is a pest that has been spotted in the Waitematā Harbour/inner Hauraki Gulf, as well as the Whangarei Harbour and Lyttleton Port.
Keep your boat's hull clean to reduce the risk of this pest clinging and causing damage to our marine life.
Marine biosecurity information: new rules and regulations
Marine pests spread easily through ballast water and hull fouling, including Mediterranean fanworm (Sabella Spallanzani) and Clubbed tunicate (Styela clava). Check to ensure your hull is clean and be aware of other regions rules before leaving Auckland.
Visit marinepests.nz for more information and to check marine biosecurity rules and regulations for different regions in the northern North Island.
Read further information on marine pests (PDF 334KB)
Weather information
For up-to-date weather information, visit:
- the MetService website
- the Coastguard NowCasting weather information VHF channels.