West Coast Beaches

• Karekare
  A beautiful surf beach hemmed in by high promontories at either end, with good walking tracks along the cliff-tops overlooking the Tasman Sea. A track leads around the shoreline to Whatipu but is only negotiable at low tide. The opening scenes of Jane Campion's film The Piano were shot here.
• Whatipu
  One of Auckland's scenic gems, this 12-kilometre-long black-sand beach is popular with surfers, walkers and fishers. There are caves to explore along the length of the beach, and the sands now cover an old kauri dance-floor which once hosted outdoor dances. Whatipu Lodge, a 140-year-old farmhouse behind the beach, provides self-catering accommodation and a 1-hectare campsite with pit toilets and running water.
• Muriwai
  The longest of Auckland's west coast beaches (50 kilometres), Muriwai is part of an 183-hectare regional park catering for swimmers, surfers, golfers, birdwatchers and bushwalkers. The beach is home to a thriving gannet colony and a scenic boardwalk leads from the parking area to special viewing platforms, allowing superb views of the birds. The cliffs behind Maori Bay, just around the south headland from Muriwai, contain some of the world's best-preserved examples of pillow lava, formed by underwater volcanic eruptions about 17 million years ago. Trails lead up into the bush from Waitea Road and provide good views up the coast. Muriwai Beach Motor Camp, behind the sand dunes, offers caravan and tent sites, with hot showers, toilets, laundry and cooking facilities.
• Te Henga (Bethells)
  Named for the canoe-hull forms of the sand dunes, Te Henga was the location for many scenes in the Hercules and Xena: Warrior Princess television series. The black sand stretches for kilometres, while the rocks provide a good spot for fishing.