I berleyed when I was there, and berleyed up not just for me and my lady, but for everyone on the wharf. It helped - I went from persona non grata (particularly unfriendly Maori boys fishing next to me) to celebrity in the time it took for the fish to turn up and start biting, which they definitely weren't before I berleyed up. Berleying is definitely worth it, I reckon.

I caught a kahawai at Paua and a whole heap of piper but for whatever reason things were pretty dead when I was there. I was alone on that wharf for ages which probably should've been a sign.

I was using salt baits (mullet, squid and mussels) and they absolutely went off everywhere up there(cheers Ahab!!). 

Good luck up north bro. Try Ocean Beach if you can - I saw a dude pull in a decent kingy of the beach at the harbour entrance, and six kids fought with a monster kingy and got it in off the wharf at the Wagener campsite just around the corner.  

If you're doing a wharf run, check out Pukenui and Parengarenga too. The boats can get annoying but at Pukenui and Parengarenga looks like its about to fall over, but both are well worth a crack.

 

No problem fishing livies at Te Hapua.