Best Beach Vacations

at Auckland's wild west coast

For best beach vacations at Auckland’s wild west coast understand the water movement.

Water forms a body that is moving along the surface of the sea. Wind, storms and tides produce differences on the surface pressure. Collected over hundreds of miles these differences become swells.

Approaching land the bottom becomes shallower and the swells turn into waves. The shallower it becomes the higher the waves. They collapse and topple over and are now called surf.


Piha BeachThe thumbnail leads to a puzzle of Piha Beach.


Nature of waves

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Incoming and outgoing tide influence the surf as much as the steepness of shoreline.

Steep surfing beaches cause the waves to break suddenly. The outcome is a plunging wave or dumper. The enormous power set free endangers surfers and swimmers. Thrown onto the sand with tremendous force severe injuries can be the outcome.

A surfing beach slowly sloping down forms spilling waves. Swimming, body boarding, and surfing vacation New Zealand is fun under these conditions. At low tide tubes or tunnels are common formations.

The third wave form is a surging wave. They are found around rocks. They never break due to deepness of water below the wave.

Karekare BeachThe thumbnail leads to e-cards of NZ beaches.


Decide Where to Swim

Some secluded beaches are wonderful for experienced surfers. Without the presence of life-guards it is important to know the surfing conditions, or to learn from an experieced surfer. Short or longer indepth surfing adventures are pre-bookable at GoDo .

Watch the sea on Auckland's West Coast before entering the water. Look for the part where waves break evenly. It is the safest area on a surf beach for swimming and body boarding. At the beaches Muriwai, Bethells, Karekare and Piha during the summer season flags mark an area overseen by experienced life guards.

While out in the sea watch one landmark and react as soon as you drift away. This is particular important with strong currents like on the beaches in West Auckland.

Should a rip carry you out to the open sea the most important is to stay calm. Do you still feel strong? Keep a diagonal direction out of the feeder current when you are sure which direction the current is carrying you to.

Life Guard Boat on Shore, Karekare Beach
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Are you tired or an inexperienced swimmer? It becomes easier to swim out of the rip area when the water becomes deeper and looses momentum. By exhaustion float and lift one arm to give signal for help.

The life guards on patrol help you to find the safest area to grant your best beach vacations.

Best beach vacations gain on excitement with an assortment of guided activities around water and beach, like kite fishing, kayaking, and quad biking. These activities are offered at GoDo .

In comparison the flyingkiwi  offers multiple days group bus tours to the best of Northland's beaches, with varying activities around water and the outdoors.

On all outdoor activities it is best to do it the kiwi way:


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