Natural Surfing Locations

Karekare Beach

Karekare Beach is one of the natural surfing locations. Wild and unspoiled with a magnificent black sand beach. To get there follow the steep and narrow Karekare Road that sets off Piha Road.

Winding downhill with occasionally glimpses of Paratahi Island the car park is reached. The valley is surrounded mainly by regional parkland.

At the end of the parking area a Maori sculpture relates to the memory of the Te-Kawerau -a-Maki iwi (tribe) and their historical bonds to this place. Once, four settlements were spread around the valley. After a battle the land was left deserted. To the present day the Te-Kawerau-a-Maki iwi remains bearer of the spiritual guardianship to this land.

By balancing over a stone crossing the stream is passed over. The path leads alongside the sand dunes and the surf club dwarfed by the Watchman to the centre of the beach. Children are often magnetized to the lagoon before the surf club. It becomes their sanctuary of safe water fun.

Nestled in the dunes to the left are the remains of the former surf club building. The ruin comes and goes with the transformation of the sand dunes. So do the bolts of the old timber tramline at Karekare Point. At the beach only one constant exists and that is change. Sand is ever moving by wind, weather and tides influencing the beaches appearance.

Generally surfing Karekare is fine on all tides and best on incoming tide. The more popular area is the Farley Point on the northern end. On busy days more experienced surfers might choose the southern area of Karekare.

VIATOR offers bookable surfing lessons at Auckland's west coast surfing locations. With the help of a qualified surf instructor participients get to know the west coast and how to enjoy the coast best.

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Facilities

• patrolled by surf life savers
• Toilet with changing space
• Younger children love playing in the lagoon before the beach, check for the water quality results on the Waitakere Council site
• Rock-fishing on the north end of the beach
• Picnic spots are:
• aside of the car park
• at the entrance to the Pohutukawa Glade
• further down the glade is a clearing with tables
• combine your picnic with a swim at the idyllic Karekare Falls, just five minutes from the Pohutukawa Glade

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• hiking tracks suitable for varying level of fitness
• beach walking
• coastal walks
• Waterfall walk
• Bush walks
• A guided coast and rainforest walk is featured under VIATOR
• and many more…

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Karekare is all year round attractive. During summer it is one of the west coast’s popular surfing locations. All year round visitors enjoy the walks starting in this valley. Special guests like seals and penguins come occasionally during the winter months. Combined with the range on weather conditions at the coast each visit becomes a little adventure.

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