How far is Onekakā from Takaka?

About 13 km, or fifteen minutes on SH60. Tākaka has the supermarket, fuel, pharmacy and most of the Bay's cafés, and it is also where you turn off for Te Waikoropupū Springs on the way through.

What is the Mussel Inn?

A Golden Bay institution on the main road at Onekakā: a rough-sawn timber bar that has brewed its own beer and cider since the early 1990s, with an open fire, a big garden and live music through the summer. Its mānuka-flavoured Captain Cooker is the one visitors are told to try. Hours shrink outside summer, so check before you drive out.

Is there a beach at Onekakā?

There is coastline rather than a swimming beach — this stretch is tidal flats, with the old ironworks wharf piles visible at low water. For sand, Patons Rock is about five minutes north and Pōhara is around twenty-five minutes east.

Can we stay at Onekakā without a car?

Not realistically. There is no public transport in Golden Bay and no shops within walking distance, so you will need a vehicle here — as you will almost everywhere in the Bay outside Tākaka township.

Holiday homes at Onekakā

Onekakā is a rural stretch of coast about fifteen minutes north of Tākaka, known for two things. The first is the Mussel Inn, Golden Bay's much-loved bush pub and brewery, which sits on SH60 here. The second is the ironworks that operated in the 1920s and 30s — the remains of its long wharf still stand out in the tide, one of the odder pieces of industrial history on this coast.

1 home in Onekaka · Golden Bay, Tasman

The Mussel Inn — bush pub, in-house brewery and regular live music — is on the main road here
Remains of the 1920s Onekakā ironworks wharf sit out in the tide
Fifteen minutes to Tākaka and fifteen to Collingwood: central for day trips both ways
Patons Rock beach is about five minutes north, Parapara about ten
Rural and quiet — river, farmland and bush rather than a beach settlement

Our home in Onekaka

Otere River View Villa - Golden Bay

BushOcean viewOnekaka

Ōtere River View Villa is a comfortable four-bedroom holiday home in peaceful Onekakā, well suited to families and groups wanting a relaxed Golden Bay getaway. With a spacious open-plan living area, fireplace and plenty of room to settle in, it makes an easy base for exploring the beaches, walks and attractions of the Bay.

Villa · 8 guests · 4 bedrooms · 1.5 bathrooms

From $180 / night

Opens booking below

Looking wider? Browse every Golden Bay holiday home and filter by pets, ocean views, spa or how many you sleep.

Staying in Onekaka

We look after one home here, a four-bedroom villa above the Ōtere with views out over the bay, and it works best for groups who want a rural base within reach of both ends of Golden Bay: Tākaka is fifteen minutes south, Collingwood fifteen minutes north, and the beaches at Patons Rock and Parapara are five and ten minutes up the road. What guests write afterwards is almost always about having the place to themselves.

Onekakā is farmland, river and bush rather than a beach strip, so days tend to look like a morning at Patons Rock, an afternoon on the Pupū Hydro Walkway or at Te Waikoropupū Springs, and dinner and live music at the Mussel Inn. There are no shops here at all — do the supermarket run in Tākaka on the way in, and check opening hours before you plan a meal out in the off-season.

Near Onekaka

Te Waikoropupū Springs — One of the clearest freshwater springs in the world.
Pupu Hydro Walkway — Scenic forest loop following an old hydro power scheme.
Milnthorpe Park — Explore over 13 km of walking tracks through regenerating forest.
Hack Farm — Guided beach horse rides near Patons Rock, suited to riders of all abilities.

More walks, beaches and cafés on Explore Golden Bay.

Onekaka questions guests ask

How far is Onekakā from Takaka?: About 13 km, or fifteen minutes on SH60. Tākaka has the supermarket, fuel, pharmacy and most of the Bay's cafés, and it is also where you turn off for Te Waikoropupū Springs on the way through.
What is the Mussel Inn?: A Golden Bay institution on the main road at Onekakā: a rough-sawn timber bar that has brewed its own beer and cider since the early 1990s, with an open fire, a big garden and live music through the summer. Its mānuka-flavoured Captain Cooker is the one visitors are told to try. Hours shrink outside summer, so check before you drive out.
Is there a beach at Onekakā?: There is coastline rather than a swimming beach — this stretch is tidal flats, with the old ironworks wharf piles visible at low water. For sand, Patons Rock is about five minutes north and Pōhara is around twenty-five minutes east.
Can we stay at Onekakā without a car?: Not realistically. There is no public transport in Golden Bay and no shops within walking distance, so you will need a vehicle here — as you will almost everywhere in the Bay outside Tākaka township.