Can you swim at Karekare Beach?

This stream-fed lagoon is tucked behind Karekare beach, a popular surfing locale and filming site of the hit 1993 film THE PIANO. The rugged, windy beach area allows swimming only when marker flags are displayed, and the lagoon serves as a calmer alternative and a good option for families with small children.

Where is Karekare Beach?

Auckland
Karekare Beach gained wider attention due to its starring role in the 1993 film The Piano. The secluded black sandy beach is situated on the west coast of Auckland, 35 kilometres from downtown Auckland.

Why Piha Beach is black?

The black sand is due to New Zealand being a fairly volcanic place, the sand is a mixture of volcanic sand and iron oxide. Being black, the sand gets hot quickly so always take footwear because you will burn the soles of your feet if you’re not careful!

Why is Piha Beach famous?

Piha beach is renowned for great surfing and it was at Piha in 1958 that two Californian surf lifesavers (Bing Copeland and Rick Stoner) introduced modern surfing to New Zealand when they brought their Malibu boards and surfed across the face of the waves.

How long is Cornwallis beach?

about 1.3 km
Beach. You’ll find about 1.3 km of sandy beach to enjoy walking, fishing and swimming.

How long is Oneroa Beach?

About Oneroa Beach Reserve This 1km long sandy beach with safe swimming is 100m from Oneroa Village. Enjoy a walk along the beach, take the short bush walk at the northern end of beach or a short clifftop walk to Little Oneroa at southern end. Access down Puriri Road onto Beach Parade.

What does Karekare mean?

Karekare is a small coastal settlement in the Auckland Region of northern New Zealand, sandwiched between the Waitākere Ranges and a large black sand surf beach.

How was Karekare Beach formed?

The Watchman is an erosion-resistant extruded dome of dacite in the middle of Karekare crater. The rocks that form the cliffs and landforms at Karekare Beach were deposited and erupted on the eastern slopes of the Waitakere Volcano during the Early Miocene (19-16 million years ago).

How do you get to Piha without a car?

You can take public transport closer to Piha. The nearest train stations to Piha are Henderson Station and Glen Eden station- from here you could use a taxi or Uber or hitchhike as it is about 30 minutes drive.

How did Piha get its name?

Piha was a name given to Lion Rock, referring to the way the waves part as they hit the rock, the bow-wave , or wave pattern in front of the rock.

Is Piha beach open?

Parks and beaches are open. For more information on physical distancing and face masks please visit covid19.govt.nz.

Does Piha have black sand?

About 40 minutes out of Auckland city, there lies a wild and untamed place where the Tasman Sea crashes into deep forest. This is Piha, the West Coast black sand beach with pounding surf which is loved by so many.