Snells Beach between Coast and Art

Coastal views, walks and a distinctive art experience give Snells Beach a variety of facets. The east-facing beach opens up wide views of distant Kawau Bay at sunrise. Inland, the Brick Bay Sculpture Trail winds through bush and open pasture; along the coast, a flat walking path and, at low tide, warm, shallow pools offer different experiences. When planning, you can decide whether to focus on the landscape, activity by the water or contemporary art.

A changing sculpture trail through bush and pasture

The 2 km Brick Bay Sculpture Trail winds through native bush and open pasture. More than 50 contemporary artworks can be seen along the trail. The outdoor exhibition is constantly changing and features a rotating selection of large-scale works by contemporary New Zealand artists. Art and landscape are part of the same experience here: the works do not stand alone, but meet you along a trail through a variety of open and vegetated settings.

The trail is suitable for most age groups and people with different abilities. At the same time, it requires a reasonable level of physical fitness. This guidance can help you plan the art walk to suit your abilities while keeping its physical demands in mind.

From the beach towards Brick Bay

From Snells Beach, you can walk north along the beach to Whisper Cove. From there, the route climbs uphill along Arabella Lane to Brick Bay. This is one specific way to connect the beach with the higher section towards Brick Bay. If you include this route in your day’s plans, allow for both the beach section and the climb that follows.

Brick Bay is also home to the Glass House Restaurant. It serves contemporary New Zealand cuisine, with fresh and vibrant dishes. The listed accessibility features are also useful to know when finding your way around: the restaurant is wheelchair accessible, there is a ramp at the entrance and two accessible parking spaces.

Coastal walks, sunrise and low tide

For a walk along the beach, consider the Snells Beach Waterfront Walk. It is easy and flat, with several access points. This makes it clearly different from the sculpture trail: here, the focus is on an easy, flat coastal walk, while the Brick Bay Sculpture Trail incorporates artworks into a bush and pasture landscape.

Tides also shape what you can experience at the beach. At low tide, warm, shallow pools form where you can splash around. Timing is key: the pools form at low tide. So if you plan to splash around, it is worth checking the tides for your visit. Sunrise reveals another side of the coast: the east-facing beach offers wide views of distant Kawau Bay.

Shape your stay around your interests

These experiences offer different points of focus, without requiring you to limit Snells Beach to a single activity. At the beach, the Waterfront Walk, the views and the pools at low tide take centre stage. The Brick Bay Sculpture Trail combines activity with a changing outdoor exhibition; the route there leads from Snells Beach via Whisper Cove and uphill along Arabella Lane. You can tailor your search to your travel interests and then choose accommodation that suits your personal requirements.

Discover more destinations: Sandspit, Leigh, Big Omaha, Hunua, Warkworth, Tuakau, Waimauku, Stanmore Bay.

For the broader travel overview: Auckland.