St Heliers to Achilles Point Path
Auckland · Out & Back
This walk comes from licensed public walk data and is being progressively confirmed against the authorities. Signs on the day always win. The rule-setter’s own wording: “Auckland Council’s Policy on Dogs 2025 (as at 10 March 2026) covers this beach in clause 2.12.3, which runs to the "beach and foreshore areas after Ōkahu Bay to the Glendowie Boating Club, including Mission Bay Beach, Kohimarama Beach, St. Heiler’s Beach". In summer, 1 December to 1 March, dogs are under control on leash before 10am, "Prohibited" 10am to 5pm, and on leash after 5pm. The rest of the year, 2 March to 30 November, they are off leash before 10am, on leash 10am to 4pm, and off leash after 4pm. The table carries a footnote: "* Except in the water where dogs are allowed under control off a leash." Clause 2.12.4(2) prohibits dogs at all times on "St Heliers Beach: from the marked swimming areas on the area in front of the bathing sheds". Worth knowing if you go looking yourself: the policy spells it "St. Heiler’s Beach" in 2.12.3, so searching that document for "Heliers" misses the access rule. Clause 2.12.1 records that "There are no designated dog exercise areas in the Ōrākei Local Board area", and Schedule 1 rule 1.3(1)(a) requires a leash "on all formed roads (including any street, highway, access way, service lane, and on any footpath, cycle track, bus stop and berm within the boundaries of the road)". Where neither a road nor a listed off leash area applies, the default in Schedule 1 rule 1.1(a) does: "Dogs must be under control on a leash in all council-controlled public places with no physical restrictions to access". This 2.1 km there and back leaves the St Heliers foreshore and climbs Cliff Road to the Achilles Point lookout, and none of it is on the clause 2.12.2 off leash list, so keep the leash on the whole way. Ladies Bay, in the water below the point, is item (15) on that off leash list, but the path along the top is not”. Evidence: a hand-checked correction against the authority. How we check dog rules.
Good to know
Dogs are allowed here. Keep them on the lead, watch for ground-nesting birds and stock, and read the signs at the gate.
About St Heliers to Achilles Point Path
In Auckland, St Heliers to Achilles Point Path runs 2.1 km as an out-and-back.
One thing to plan around in summer. Between 1 December and 1 March dogs are prohibited on St Heliers Beach and its foreshore from 10am to 5pm, so a midday walk in January has to start from the Cliff Road end rather than the sand. From 2 March to 30 November the beach is off leash before 10am and after 4pm, and on leash in between. The lookout leg itself is on leash all year, because Cliff Road is a formed road and the Ōrākei Local Board has no designated dog exercise areas at all.
It sits at the easy end and gains roughly 35 m, pitching up to 8 % at its steepest, and takes about 0.5–1 hr to walk.
The track takes in beach walking, big views, and historic sites. Dogs are allowed here, on the lead. Walkers rate it 4.3 / 5 across 35 reviews.