Moirs Hill

Moir's Hill is a working coastal thermal and soaring site north of Auckland, on private farmland by a Department of Conservation reserve. Takeoff at 1,050 ft ASL sits about 800 ft above the landing paddock. It's rated PG2 / HG Intermediate — flyable, but the site rules and the airspace matter more here than the launch does: this is TMA C country with strict ceilings, and Kaipara Flats airfield sits directly north (usually downwind) with a parachute drop zone. Every visit means checking gates are closed (both to keep the farmer's stock in and feral goats out), advising both North Shore and Kaipara Flats airfields you're flying, and confirming the landing paddock is available around lambing and haymaking.

Launch & conditions

Site rating: PG P2 / HG Intermediate. Takeoff 1,050 ft ASL, 800 ft above the landing paddock.

Getting there & local rules

Access 6 km north of the Puhoi turn-off on State Highway 1. Turn left into Moirs Hill Road, next to the rest area at the end of Windy Ridge. Follow the gravel road to the end and park by the transmitter tower — access from there is on foot through the left-hand gate, following the track (~15 min). Landing paddock availability should be checked around lambing and haymaking (hay paddocks usually shut off from stock Nov–Jan). Close every gate — the farmer needs his stock in, and the reserve's feral goats out.

Local rules & hazards

In TMA C — ceiling immediately above launch is 3,500 ft ASL, rising to 4,500 ft once you cross Woodcocks Rd heading N or NE. Heading south across the valley enters North Shore airfield training space with a 3,500 ft ceiling. Notify BOTH North Shore and Kaipara Flats airfields on every flight. Kaipara Flats sits directly north (usually downwind) with a parachute drop zone — no flying within 3 NM. Landing is in a valley: the wind at the paddock is often different from launch — fly an aircraft-style landing circuit. Top-landing on takeoff is tight, thermic and only for experienced top-landers.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Moirs Hill, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Moirs Hill with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.