Castor Bay
Located between Milford and Campbells Bay, Castor Bay sits at the southern end of the East Coast Bays in a small bay facing Rangitoto and Motutapu. It's bordered to the north by Centennial Park, to the south by Milford Creek, to the east by the Hauraki Gulf and to the west by East Coast Bays road. With some truly spectacular homes along the cliff top alongside Beach Road, this is a predominantly affluent suburb and Braemar and Castor Bay roads provide elevation for great views out over the Gulf. Castor Bay beach is a fantastic little beach; it's sheltered by an artificial breakwater that stretches from the north end making it safe for little kids to swim at both high and low tide and there’s plenty of grassy space with cool shady trees for picnics. There’s also a great playground for when swimming isn’t an option.Nearby JF Kennedy Memorial Park runs along the cliff tops and provides a great place to walk the dog and stunning views of Rangitoto. It’s accessible from Beach Road or by a walkway along the coastline and contains old World War II bunkers that were used to survey the Hauraki Gulf. The headland at the northern end of Castor Bay is the site of Rahopara, an old Maori pa believed to have been last inhabited in the 18th century. Very little is known about the people who lived there but the tribe's ancient earth excavations are still visible. Famous alumni for this pretty little suburb include Sam Hunt who was born here in 1946.
Public Transport is good, with regular bus routes in both directions along Beach Road and East Coast Bays road. Most of the East Coast Bays dedicated school buses travel through Castor Bay, so it's simple to get the kids to school. Head to the Ministry of Education's School Zones website to find more detailed information about local schools. You can search by school name or the address of the property you are interested in.
