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The beaches on the west coast of Auckland are wildly different from those on the east coast. And 'wildly' is the operative word; whereas the eastern beaches are sheltered, with calm seas and sandy, pohutukawa-lined shorelines, those on the west coast are rugged and windswept. Facing Australia and the prevailing westerly winds across the Tasman Sea, this coast is marked by big surf and hot, black sand.
Although with a sense of remoteness, however, most are within an hour's drive of Auckland. They are a great place to escape to for a walk or hike, a swim or a surf. The Waitakere Ranges are also close by, offering more walks and places to explore.
Here are the main beaches on the west coast of Auckland, listed from south (closest to the city) to north.
Note: If visiting any of these beaches make sure to take water and sunscreen with you. There are limited (or no) facilities at most of these beaches, and the sun can be extremely harsh. Be very wary of swimming and only swim between the flags when surf patrols are present; all of the beaches are subject to strong undertows and rips.
Whatipu
This is one of the most isolated of the west coast beaches, at the southern end of the Waitakere Ranges. The road to the beach is mostly unsealed and, aside from toilets, there are no shops or other public facilities here.
Perhaps due to its remoteness, Whatipu is an outstanding wilderness area. Due to the ever-changing sea, swimming here is not recommended. However, behind the beach are wetlands and a number of lovely nature walks.
Karekare
This beach, along with nearby Piha, was filmed in the New Zealand movie, "The Piano". Although close to Auckland as the crow flies, its remoteness and access through the Waitakere Ranges mean it can take up to an hour to get there.
A narrow and only recently sealed road, with limited parking by the beach, means that this is one of the least-visited of the major west coast beaches. Nevertheless, it is popular with surfers and has some good walks in the vicinity.
More information:
Piha
Piha is the best-known of the Auckland west coast beaches and the one with the most facilities (store and cafe). It is a popular spot with holidaymakers and there is a reasonably sized settlement of holiday and permanent homes along the shoreline. It is also one of the best-known surf beaches in New Zealand.
For a west coast beach, swimming is relatively safe (but only when patrolled). The rock in the middle of the beach, Lion Rock, is an Auckland landmark.
There is a short walk to the top for a great view.
Piha also rates as one of my Top Ten Beaches of the Auckland Region.
This is also one of the ten best beaches in the Auckland region, and is quite different to Piha. There are only a handful of houses here and no shops or services and large sand dunes behind the shore. There are many nice walks around Bethells, including around Lake Wainamu, a small lake behind the dunes. The beach itself is quite a walk from the carpark as well.
From August until March, the cliffs behind Muriwai are home to a large gannet colony. Viewing platforms allow you to get quite close to these magnificent birds. The beach itself runs for more than 60 kilometers of rugged coastline and black sand.
There is swimming and surfing in the patrolled area near the surf club. Otherwise, try a walk along the boardwalk along the fringe of the coast.
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