onerahi yacht club restaurant

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Ratings and reviews

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To those looking for a higher level of dinner cuisine in Whangarei - look no further. Our family dine here throughout the year. The food is exceptional. Chef's meticulous approach to this restaurant is key to its success, cherry picking produce examining each ingredient to... ensure plates are served fresh and full of flavor. Must book in advance, as is a well known local Gem. More

We would literally seek this restaurant out if we were travelling north again. A creative menu with top, locally sourced meat, fish and produce. I don’t think there were too many kilometres from gate to table and it tasted like it. My entrée of pork... belly with crispy crackling was the best I’d ever had. All our party were very happy with their choices and had either the lamb or steak but I had the Orange Roughy fish in a minced paua and lime broth. Attentive staff and a front of the house lady who couldn’t do enough for us. Loved it. More

Absolutely outstanding dining experience with locally sourced top quality food, faboulous and friendly service and wonderful suggested wine pairings. This is Whangarei's best kept secret. Come here you won't regret it. Pork belly and prawn starters and fish and beef mains were flawless

I asked this restaurant to help with my plan to propose to my lovely bride to be. They went out of their way to surprise even me, and we have great memories of how the staff joined in. Beautiful meal and setting too.

Absolutely superb in every way, stunning location (even better it is slightly off the beaten track) by the water. Food classic, beautifully done, very generous helpings and cooked to perfection. Friendly, almost family like atmosphere. So pleased we'd researched as well as having recommendations to... visit here. If you are in Whangarei an absolute must. Perfect for a special occasion. More

This was such a cool dining experience and the service was impeccable! The entrees we had were phenomenal and presented beautifully. The mains were also really good, but the deer served wasn’t that nice. Desert was amazing also! I will be back again :)

Location with every table having a water view and the food somewhat met our expectations.Unfortunately the service was more a picnic at the beach with their very casual attire and lack of attention to detail.Expect to pay for the water views but don't expect to... have your water glass or your wine glass refilled! More

Pleasant setting and wait staff. Lovely entree but sadly the main I had was under seasoned and a tad bland. Creme brûlée had separated and tasted like scrambled egg which was rather unpleasant. Nice overall but slightly over priced.

Favourite restaurant in Whangarei! The food, service and setting are excellent. Very friendly staff. Prices are up there but well worth it.

Loved EVERYTHING from the excellent wine, to the fantastic service, the view and the delicious food. We had a wonderful night and cannot fault a single thing. Can't wait to go back again.

Our evening got off to a bad start due to a misunderstanding with our reservation made for 7 pm for 6 people but somehow taken as 7 people for 6pm...these things happen but it could've been handled a bit better and not had our host... be so adamant the error had been ours...When were asked to wait until 8.30pm for our table which was fine but an offer of some bread or nibbles to go with drinks would've been nice. When we asked for bread it was a matter of "checking with the kitchen as the chef was very busy", There was a slight overtone of we had caused some inconvenience with our arrival and the mix up. Service however was good apart from the mixup. Menu is interesting with some French and very classic influence. It would have been nice to have more local food instead of imported ingredients ie the scallops from down south and the scampi imported. Snails again imported. I know this can't always be done but even the game dish hailed from the deep south. Good flavours and well presented with very generous servings. Food over all pretty good but nothing really jumped out at me with wow. I found the lettuce and pea salad a bit odd and my shellfish plate was nice but scampi overcooked. Nice views over the harbour but restaurant lacked a bit of atmosphere. Excellent wine list with a huge variety and plenty of choice by the glass and well priced. This was a great touch. Food items I thought initially a bit expensive but then sides of potatoes and the salad are included so probably evens itself out. We had a nice night however I was left with a nagging feeling about the way our booking was handled wasn't quite right and the old adage of the customer is always right was not followed. Having been in hospo for many years it is vital to get this right when things don't start well. Loos very nice and clean and individual cotton hand towels, decent mirrors and lighting a nice touch. I dine again however and double check the reservation time and I'd really like to see more Northland sourced product :) More

To the reader of this review This review has disappointed and upset us more than you can imagine. Mainly because we did everything possible on the night to make sure our service was not compromised, our other guests in the dining room were not affected... More

I had the pork belly which was nice. It's very dear for Northland people though. Time to spend a few $ and get a proper carpark - stop having to drive up over a kerb and park on grass. Did I mention that view? Sunset... over the harbour was gorgeous. More

following the recommendation of our local friends we went to the arguably best restaurant in Whangarei with high expectations. On the upper floor of the Yacht Club, the ambiance is pleasantly intimate and informal - only (9?) tables - with a wonderful wide West-South-East water... view. Welcome by the waiter was attentive. I opted for the Wild Fjordland Game dish (deer + hare) which was excellent and cooked to perfection. The suggested (Australian) wine for this dish turned out to be an excellent match, even if I expected a NZ wine - a pity that I had to remind the waiter as he forgot my order... the cook obviously loves parsley very much which resulted in a clear overdose on the otherwise perfect oven-roasted garlic-potatoes, as well as earlier on the garlic bread with olive oil we had as a starter. I didn't appreciate the peas in the salad, but that's merely a personal question. From our friends who had different dishes, no complaints whatsoever - to highlight maybe the Pork Belly which got really good votes. Nice idea to serve the Affogato desert in 3 separate glasses: ice cream, espresso, liqueur - to be mixed by yourself. The background music was a mix of easy listening although a touch too loud, but still not too loud to complain.... The prices feel proportionate to the place and the quality and quantity of the food served. All in all a pleasant experience- to be repeated one day.... :-) More

Why much worse than expected? I have been a few times before and always thought it was over priced and just above average. We wanted to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary on Saturday. Whangerei does not have much choice in fine dining. Of course that's... subjective and a matter of taste and budget, but in my opinion there isn't the choice here even if you had all the money in the world. For me the choices come down to Tonic or Top Sail, both are on a par but the location gives Top Sail a big edge. Not just the location, the ambience is better too but the food is totally comparably. It always think its difficult to write a poor review and be taken seriously when the vast majority have had a positive experience. I definitely feel out on a limb. I had said to myself that I wouldn't go back to Top Sail after some disappointing experiences, but that was a year ago and I wanted a night out for our anniversary. I had to send both my mains back. The first one, the duck was so salty I couldn't eat it, my husband agreed after trying it. His main, the steak was delicious but all the Jus on the plate and everything else he said was also so salty. The roasted garlic potatoes were as far from fluffy inside and crispy as you could possibly get. In fact black around the edges is burnt to me not crispy. I sent my meal back and asked if the chef would try it. My husband had almost finished his meal so they said the quickest replacement would be what they call The Bale their vegetarian option or the fish. Im not a vegetarian but love good tasty vegetarian food, so no problem going for that. Oh it was awful and this time the potatoes, were cold. I could not eat my meal it really was that bad.. I felt dreadful, for them, for my husband and for me but honestly i couldn't eat the food. Here is what I know.. You are always in trouble when they stick loads of superfluous green things out of your meal as decoration. They don't care - Not once, even before I complained did they come over to ask if everything was OK. I just instinctively knew that the customer is never right here and when they delivered their second meal, they still didn't come over to see if this time I was happy.. they don't want to know, unless they have to know. I don't think they even look at Trip Advisor because unlike other top Auckland restaurants they do not reply to any comments, good or bad. Doesn't that say something? We were seen as difficult and unable to be pleased, in other words in the wrong and whilst they didn't ask us to leave, they presented us with the bill, making it perfectly clear we should go before we found anything else to complain about! We are both in our 70's so hardly the type to throw out. At checkout my husband pointed out that they were still charging us for two mains and this they said was a mistake,, it wasn't- I don't believe them. I think they hoped we would pay. I wish it had been different.. we would happily have paid. The wine was delicious, I choose Geoff Merrill Cab Sav.. wonderful, not a sharp edge in the glass. If only I could say delicious food too. If you go and feel it's as overpriced and as disappointing as we did please say so. I know its an effort to do reviews but opinions matter. More

Topsail is on the edge of the Whangarei Harbour. The premises are upstairs, small and intimate. There is enough room for a group, but a large group would have to book the entire restaurant. The menu is excellent, they serve quality wines, and it is... a beautiful view to admire from any seat in the room. I would highly recommend Top Sail to anyone especially for a romantic occasion, or for someone you wish to impress. The service is excellent and I consider this place to be the best in town. More

TOPSAIL, Whangarei - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews

• Service: 4.5
• Atmosphere: 4.5

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Great hosts, great fare. - TopSail

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“Great hosts, great fare. ” Review of TopSail

We make a point of getting here when ever we can. Tonight we celebrated 3x family 60ths. Had high expectations and the crew once again exceeded them all. Absolutely recommend for a night of fine dining.. Thank you...

• Excellent 230
• Very good 38
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58 - 62 of 284 reviews

could not fault a thing food and service was very good a lovely restaurant with sea views. will visit again.

A small, quirky little place, perched atop Onerahi Yacht Club. Popular and with limited seating, we had heard it was best to book early so we did so - a month in advance! First impressions were good, with lovely views at our window table as the sun set over the water. Service was fairly prompt, if typically Kiwi, ie casual but friendly, not fussy. Don't expect silver service! My Turkey Tenderloin starter was delicious, but my Aged Tenderloin main wasn't anything special, sadly, seeming neither aged nor tender. No complaints from my companions, though, enjoying Salmon and Ceviche starters followed by better luck with the Duck and The Bale vegetarian 'stack'. Surprisingly, none of us could find something on the dessert menu that appealed, so we called it a day there. Prices higher than one would have expected, but you're paying for the view. And they're popular so can perhaps get away with $5-10 more per plate than at equivalent establishments. Bottom line: a nice enough evening but I think we'll try somewhere else next time we're looking for something special...

The beef tartar was incredible- I was sad I shared it with my partner! For mains we had the lamb and the the Bale (vegetarian dish) both were so tasty we couldn’t stop eating despite being full. Lovely atmosphere and beautiful view!

After many years of living in Whangarei I was very excited to finally visit Top Sail. The reviews online were positive and a few friends who had been all raved about how delicious the food was. We arrived and were shown to our table to be left alone for twenty minutes before our drinks order was taken. Entrees were disappointing, with the beef tartare being very bland. The mains were nice, as were the deserts, but they definitely didn't live up to the high reputation that this place has. They were simply nice. The decor of the restaurant is odd. The white word art on white background and fruit shaped lighting made the place feel like very 90's. Service also wasn't up to the standard it should have been. Not once were we checked on to see if we were enjoying our meals and we left feeling like we had been a burden, instead of a valued customer. All things considered, our evening at TopSail definitely did not live up to the hype, and I don't think I would go again. The reputation exceeded the experience for our visit which was a real shame.

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Onerahi Heritage Trail – Early Onerahi

Onerahi/Onerahirahi has a rich history of settlement and development with significant Māori heritage sites and later interesting and diverse European development shaping the area.

The name Onerahirahi (‘the beach of quick overhearing’) relates to the Māori legend of Reipae and Reitu, and has been shortened to Onerahi. Land for the development of a township was purchased in the 1860s from Tipene Hari of Ngati Kahu and Te Tirarau Kukupa of Te Parawhau. Initially known as Grahamtown, with the opening of the railway in 1911, the name was changed to Onerahi. The early 1800s saw settlers digging for kauri gum here. From the 1890s Limestone Island Cement Works meant that workers lived at Onerahi with shops and services developed to support the growing community. The development of the wharf in 1910 and rail infrastructure allowed the area to have a busy railhead.

By the 1920s the arrival of the railway, the development of a formed road (Cliff Street) up to the plateau and the closing of the Limestone Island cement operation resulted in the residential and commercial focus moving from the foreshore to Domain Road. From 1938 the airfield was a key influence on the growth on the area, including its use for war purposes.

Google Map of Early Onerahi Heritage Trail

*Note – Some points on the map are in approximate placing due to not having an address.

1) Airmail Service

The first airmail service landed at Onerahi on 1 March 1920. The plane was piloted by Mr V. Walsh and Mr G. Bolt and the flight from Auckland took 78 minutes. This was the first time an aeroplane had been seen near Whangārei and a large crowd gathered to witness its arrival. From 1967-1972 a Sunderland flying boat was situated on the foreshore where the toilet block now stands.

2 ) Onerahi Railway

Work began on a four mile extension of the existing rail line to Grahamtown (Onerahi), in 1900. The Gull Roost Bridge across the harbour was completed in 1904 and the Onerahi Wharf was opened on 3 October 1911. Originally trains for passengers and goods ran once during weekdays, once on Saturday and twice on Sunday. Controversy reigned with the train timetable ot at convenient times for passengers and the Gull Roost Bridge having only a 30 ft gap for the lifting span not the 50 ft span designed. May 1927 saw passenger services cease and goods trains stopped in 1933. The railway station, goods shed and three houses were the last items to be built for the Onerahi Railway. The stone wall in front of the house on the hill behind the station can still be seen.

3) Onerahi Wharf

Timber for the Grahamtown (Onerahi) Wharf began arriving in 1904 but real progress was not made until 1910. The wharf was more than 1,100 ft (340m) long. For the first 500 ft it went out obliquely from the beach then turned parallel to the shoreline for the last 600 ft. The wharf was heavily used. In 1915 120,000 tons of coal, 4,200 tons of general freight and 22,000 passengers on the daily boat to Auckland went through the wharf. With the final closure of the railway in 1933 the wharf was dismantled and used in the development of the new wharf at Kioreroa.

4) Onerahi Regatta / Yacht Club

The first Onerahi Regatta was held on New Year’s Day 1911. Nearly 4,000 attendees is recorded as the largest gathering with swimming, yachting, rowing, motorboat races, and novelty events such as the ‘greasy pole’. After 1931 the annual regatta moved from New Year’s Day and limped on in a much-reduced format. The Onerahi Yacht Club was formed in 1952 and the current clubrooms were built in 1965 using blocks from the disused cement works on Limestone Island.

5) Onerahi Seawalls

Stone retaining walls were constructed adjoining the Onerahi foreshore in 1917. The sea walls allowed the building of Beach Road and its subsequent protection. Given the active coastal system the walls have required numerous repairs and an extension of the coastal walls was undertaken in 2014.

6) Going Boarding House and Store

In 1911 Henry Going built a boarding house and a general store of native timbers on the Onerahi foreshore opposite the now Yacht Club. It appears that the store was leased by a Mr Bradley and it burnt down in September 1912. The boarding house was for single workers who commuted to Limestone Island by launch. Many years later it was converted to 15 flats and was known as Mansion House. Sadly this fine old place burnt down in 1959.

7) A E Hollay General Stores

A E Hollay General Stores was located around 190 Beach Road and there was also a butchery and bakery in this area. In the 1920s the store was owned by Fred Frogley who later relocated it to Domain Road as the commercial focus moved from the Onerahi foreshore. The track in front of the house is still there and is in regular use by locals.

8) Onerahi Post Office

In 1916 the house on the eastern corner of Church Street and Domain Road was purchased by the post office and converted into the new Onerahi Post Office. The house was later moved across the road to 9 Domain Road.

9) Butchery / Bakery

On the corner opposite the post office was Shipman’s butchery. The bakery was next to it and was built some time before 1920 when Arthur Graham bought it. Later it was owned by the Ford family.

10) General Store

Bill Bartlett bought the general store from Fred Frogley in 1940. The store was open 40 hours per week, including Saturday mornings. On Wednesday afternoons deliveries were made to Whangārei Heads residents. The store closed when the new shopping centre at Sherwood Rise was developed in the mid-1950s.

11) Book Club

Set up in the front room of 15 Domain Road by Zelma Frogley in the late 1930s, and later continued by Frances Dent until 1963. The book club had over 200 titles.

12 ) Town Hall and the Domain

The Onerahi Town Hall was officially opened on 14 October 1915. For half a century the Town Hall played a key role in the life of the community. The advance group of Air Force personnel who arrived in 1942 used the hall or temporary accommodation. The hall was demolished in the 1960s, about the time the airport was extended. Further along Domain Road from the hall was the Domain which comprised of tennis courts, football, hockey, croquet and cricket fields. When the airport was extended in 1939, the playing fields had to be relocated.

13) Bus Depot

The bus service began after the closure of the railway for passenger traffic in 1927. By that time the road from Whangārei had been upgraded. The last bus of the day from Whangārei was garaged in this building (now 6 Domain Road) and used for the first service in the morning. A small sign on the front of the building notes it as the Grahamtown Bus Depot.

14) St Stephen’s Church

St Stephen’s Church was built in 1910. Prior to this, the congregation used to meet in the Mission Hall, built in 1895 and sited about Mason Street. The church porch was added in 1922 and the hall in 1956. The church was lowered in 1995 to align with the level of the hall.

15 ) WW1 Oak Tree Memorial

In 1921 the Whangārei Beautifying Society planted an oak tree for each of the dead soldiers from the Onerahi district. In the 1990s following approaches from some residents the Whangārei District Council resolved to cut the trees down. However this was successfully opposed and a commemorative plaque placed on the site.

16) Tennis Club

In 1914 the Onerahi Tennis Club opened new courts on the Domain playing fields at the end of Domain Road. When the airport was constructed the Public Works Department built courts for the tennis club on its present site on Ormiston Road and these were opened in October 1939.

17) Tirarau’s Land

The block of Te Parawhau hapū’s land, labelled Tirarau’s Land on the 1857 survey, was sold in 1863 for £500. A number of sections remained in Tirarau’s name after subdivision. The boundary line of the land sold by Te Parawhau follows a line from Waipuna (by Johnson Street), across in a line to Waiariki Stream which tumbles down Ormiston Road. This line influenced the alignment of streets in the subdivision of the Onerahi plateau and can still be seen on survey maps underlying the airport.

18) McKenzie Avenue and Track

The topography of Onerahi created the need for ‘zig-zag’ footpaths to connect the beach to the plateau. In 1920 the McKenzie Avenue zig-zag was constructed 6ft wide and completed with a layer of shells. McKenzie Avenue originally traversed Church Street and formed one of the roads extending across the current airport land.

19) Onerahi School

In 1905, the single room Onerahi school building was moved from the top of Cartwright Road to a site between Church Street and McKenzie Avenue. From 1942-1945 air force hangars were sited at the end of the school’s football field, and trenches were built nearby for students to hide in the event of attack. The school building was demolished in 1963 to make way for airport extensions.

20) St James Church

St James Church was built in 1939 and originally sited at (now) 131 Church Street. With the developments along Sherwood Rise, the church was moved to its current location in 1966.

21) Stevens Point

Stevens Point was named after Chief Tipene of Waikaraka, who played an important role in early European settlement. Tipene died in 1881 and his canoe was set up as a memorial on this site. The early 20th century saw several camp sites and baches here, as Onerahi was a seaside destination. In 1926, the area was first gazetted for protection as a Scenic Reserve, however debate was then held on the need for a road to connect Waikaraka and Beach Road. The current Scout Den was built in 1962.

22 ) Groynes

In the early 1920s, four groynes were constructed along the beachfront as a means of creating sandy beaches. Made of stones and well cemented walls and tops at a cost of £15-20 each, the groynes enabled swimming as a regular activity for Onerahi school children.

23) Mullet Cannery / Red House

In the 1880s Walter Mason started a small unsuccessful mullet cannery in the south end of the house (140 Beach Road) due to the plentiful fish stock in the harbour. Post 1889 the cannery was revived by the Handforth brothers supplying canned mullet for troops in the Boer War. In the 1950s the Toebes family painted the house red. It is now known as ‘Red House’ and is an icon of the Onerahi foreshore.

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Onerahi Yacht Club

Onerahi yacht club reviews.

Love being down there with all the families and dogs which are on leads. Beautiful place.

No idea re the yacht club never been there but boat ramp next door is great

It's by the sea, a park, public abolution block, its disturbingly beautiful and scenic. The kids will love the play area, BBQ for dad to get busy, while mum can lay under the trees and enjoy the peace. You should visit here - psst pick up some fish n chips from Onerahi to enjoy while there.

Beautiful Waterfront to swim, picnic or just sit and watch the Boats Sail by

Good place to go for a break and eat some fish and chips, or go for a fish yourself!

Didn't visit the yacht club, was on the bike track from whangarei. But the yacht club looks cool.

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Beach Road, Onerahi, Whangarei

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Onerahi Yacht Club hosts regional racing

Onerahi Yacht Club hosted the Northland Yachting Association Laser and P Class Championships over the weekend of 6 th - 7 th April. The regatta was also used for the Onerahi Club Champs and the last regatta in the Heart Land Series.

There was a great fleet of lasers coming from as far afield as Taipa Sailing Club in the north to Panmure Lagoon Sailing Club in the south to make up a decent Laser contingent totalling 22 boats. The small boat fleet numbered ten with a good turnout of five P Class, three Starlings and a few odd boats.

Breezes were light and tides were strong making challenging conditions for the sailors. Local knowledge of the tides was definitely a help for the home town boys.  

“In the laser class Michael Cate dominated the racing by winning all but one of the races he competed in with an impressive display of roll tacking and roll gybing (that he assured us was legal). In the small boat fleet Penelope Wilson sailed her P class well to win all but two of her races,” reports Kim Admore, Regional Support Officer.

“The club put on a great regatta feeding all the sailors with an evening meal and a breakfast on the Sunday morning. I thoroughly recommend this regatta to anyone wanting to try sailing in different waters.”

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