Snells Beach: Beach and Outdoor Art

Snells Beach offers inspiration for days spent between the beach and outdoor art. The Brick Bay Sculpture Trail winds for 2 km through native bush and open pasture, with more than 50 contemporary artworks along the way. This gives the walk a cultural focus while the bush and pasture remain part of the experience. If you’re looking for holiday accommodation in Snells Beach, these different experiences can help shape the character of your stay: would you like to spend most of your time by the water, or also discover art in the open air?

Art in the Landscape

The Brick Bay Sculpture Trail is a constantly changing outdoor exhibition. It features a rotating selection of large-scale works by contemporary New Zealand artists. The artworks are part of an exhibition that changes, rather than always presenting the same selection. The interplay between art and the path through bush and open pasture shapes this visit, so you don’t have to choose between a gallery and a walk through the landscape.

The trail is suitable for most age groups and for people with different abilities, but requires a reasonable level of physical fitness. So if you’re planning the outing with companions of different ages, consider this requirement as well as their interest in art. This helps you think of the sculpture trail as an activity in its own right, rather than equating it with an easy beach walk.

Beach, Waterfront Walk and Low Tide

The Snells Beach Waterfront Walk offers a different way to spend time outdoors: it’s an easy, flat walking path along the beach, with several access points. If you’re looking for a path with these features, you can make the waterfront walk a focus of your time in Snells Beach. The multiple access points are also useful landmarks when you’re deciding where to begin your walk.

At low tide, warm, shallow pools form at Snells Beach, where you can splash around. So, as well as a walk, the beach offers a water-based experience that depends on the tide. The east-facing beach opens up wide views across Kawau Bay in the distance at sunrise. If you’d like to spend the early morning by the water, this is a special vantage point from which to admire the bay.

Walk to Brick Bay and New Zealand Cuisine

Another route heads north along the beach to Whisper Cove, then climbs uphill via Arabella Lane to Brick Bay. The climb along the lane is part of this route description; you can take it into account when deciding whether to go for this walk. Brick Bay is home to the Glass House Restaurant, which serves contemporary New Zealand cuisine with fresh, vibrant dishes. The restaurant is wheelchair-accessible, with a ramp at the entrance and two accessible parking spaces.

If you’re considering Snells Beach as a location for holiday accommodation, first think about which experiences you’d like to shape your stay: the beach and flat waterfront path, the changing sculptures among bush and pasture, or a restaurant visit featuring New Zealand cuisine.

Discover More Places

More places: Riverhead, Helensville, Waiatarua, Pukekohe, Piha, Muriwai Beach, Whangaparaoa and Kawau Island.

For the broader travel overview: Auckland.