Auckland’s West Coast beaches

Beaches, for the most part, have consistently inspired me to write and tell stories. It’s always been this way; I distinctly remember taking a journal with me on family vacations to the Maryland and New Jersey shores as a teen and writing bad teenage poetry while my sisters played in the ocean.

While my writing style has changed, I do tend to find myself still picking up the pen after a trip to the beach. There’s something about the saltwater air and the calming sounds of the waves that put me in touch with myself and my deepest thoughts like nowhere else in the world. The beach is my happy place.

But for the first time in what feels like forever, I found a visited a few beaches that simply don’t inspire me in that way.

Yes, I enjoyed my trip to Auckland’s West Coast beaches a few months ago, but I didn’t leave feeling at peace, and I certainly didn’t feel like writing about it. In fact, I’ve been avoiding writing this post since December and have been struggling to figure out why that is.

Piha, Anawhata, and Karekare are unanimously considered some of the most beautiful beaches in New Zealand. They all have unique, bulky, rock formations that jut out from the coast and a feeling of privacy that is hard to come by in most regions of the world. (In fact, when I was at Anawhata we were the only ones on the beach at all.) But I’m not in any hurry to go back to see them again.

This isn’t because I don’t see and appreciate the beauty of these largely untouched areas of New Zealand, after all, Piha’s sunset is in the running for my favorite of all time. I have beautiful pictures and amazing memories from all three, but they don’t sit in my heart the way other beaches do. Instead, I feel about them the way I feel about the mountains: peaceful and gorgeous, but not for me.

Perhaps this is because I couldn’t be bothered to get in the water because it felt like ice on my toes or the cloudiness that hung around for almost my entire visit, but my heart doesn’t flutter when thinking back to these beaches the way it does when I think of beaches in Australia, Florida, or even New Jersey.

I wish it was different, especially because the friends I went with absolutely adore these locations, but it’s not. That being said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share a few details about each one.

Piha

Perhaps the most well known of the beaches on this list, Piha certainly lives up to its hype as a surfer’s paradise. In fact, I would recommend you don’t come to the beach without a board of some kind: the waves are violent and intense no matter the weather. (In fact, the surf here is so often dangerous there is an entire reality show about it on TVNZ called “Piha Rescue.”)

Because Piha is both the most well known and most easily accessible, it is also the most crowded on this list. However, “crowded” has a different meaning in New Zealand: as my mom pointed out during our video chat, 200 people on a beach anywhere else in the world wouldn’t be considered busy at all.

The nice thing about Piha is there is so much to do and see, even if you don’t particularly like ice cold waves. From the beach, you can climb the famous Lion Rock or take a walk to the Tasman Lookout for an amazing view of the beach. Additionally, there are two coffee shops and a general store in the area, meaning you won’t go hungry if you forget to pack a lunch!

If you have the time and are looking to get away from the crowds and see a beautiful sunset, you can make the 30-minute walk (or 5-minute drive) up to the less crowded North Piha Beach. Once there, go to the very end of the beach where you will find a colony of rocks amidst the sand. As the sun sets, the rays bounce off the rocks and water, giving the visitor a natural and beautiful light show.

Karekare

Made famous in the Oscar-winning movie “The Piano,” Karekare is about a 50-minute drive from Auckland. But once you park your car, you still have some walking to do: the beach is off-set from the parking lot by a boarded path, and then a long stretch of sand before you get to the water. Once there, you will be rewarded with its beautiful black sand and well-known pyramid rock formation that sits amidst the areas strong waves.

I didn’t spend a lot of time in Karekare myself, but there are walks in the area, including one to Karekare Falls. They appear a bit similar to Kitekite falls in Piha, and may be an alternative to anyone interested in avoiding the area in an effort to protect the Kauri Trees.

As far as amenities go, you have some public restrooms but that’s it. It is a bit of a drive to get to and from the beach, so make sure you pack food and water.

Anawhata

Heralded as one of New Zealand’s “best-kept secrets,” Anawhata is particularly difficult to get to, especially at the moment: several of the tracks in the area are closed as part of an ongoing effort to protect the Kauri forest. (To read more about this, check out my post on my hike to Kitekite falls.) However, there is at least one path to the beach that is open, just be prepared for a bit of a hike to get there. (Pure New Zealand, amirite?)

This 20 to 30-minute walk is a good thing though for anyone who likes privacy, as it keeps the crowds away from Anawhata. (I was there over the busy Christmas period and we were the only people on the beach.)

If you like surfing and can manage to carry your surfboard the whole way, Anawhata, similar to Piha, is known for having good waves. And if you’re a wuss like me, there’s also a few dry activities to take part in: there are several beautiful rock pools to explore, many of which are covered with baby mussels.

As far as amenities go, Anawhata has none as it takes both a drive and a bush walk to get here, so if you plan on staying for awhile, make sure you’re prepared.