Muriwai
Muriwai is a beach and village on the west coast of the Auckland Region of New Zealand, popular with people from Auckland, 42 km away. The beach runs northwards for 50 km to the mouth of the Kaipara Harbour; the northern part is known as Te Oneone Rangatira Beach. The beach has black ironsand. At the southern end, where the village is, the beach ends at Otakamiro Point. South of the point is a small bay, Maukatia or Maori Bay. Muriwai Regional Park, administered by Auckland Council, includes public areas around the main entrances to the beach, Otakamiro Point, Maukatia, the golf links, and the southern 8 km of Muriwai Beach.
Understand
Get in
From Auckland take the Northwestern Motorway then continue on State Highway 16, turning off at Waimauku onto Muriwai Rd.
Get around
4WD vehicles and motorcycles are permitted to drive on the hard sand of Muriwai Beach and Te Oneone Rangatira. Road rules apply. Access points are from Coast Rd at Muriwai and Rimmer Rd in Woodhill Forest near Helensville. The speed limit is 30 kph south of Okiritoto Stream, and 60 kph north of the stream. Drive with headlights on. Access to the northern beach is only within three hours either side of low tide. Be wary of soft sand, tide surges, sweeper waves and, of course, the incoming tide.
See
- Gannet breeding colony on Otakamiro Point, nearby Motutara Island, and Oaia Island, 1.6 km out. There are viewing platforms and information panels about these beautiful seabirds. The birds return here between Jul and Oct and lay eggs around Oct–Nov. The colony is deserted in late autumn and early winter. This is the most easily-accessible gannet colony in New Zealand.
Do
- Swim in the surf between the life savers' flags.
- Surfing is the main pastime at Muriwai and Maukatia (Maori Bay).
- Paragliding and hang gliding at Maori Bay, especially when the prevailing souwesterly wind provides favourable conditions.
- Bush walking. Boardwalks are in place.
- Mountain biking. There are many bike trails up in the pines, mainly downhill and freeride trails.
- Beach fishing along the many km of beach, which are accessible by driving along the beach.
- Rock fishing can be done from the rocks at the southern end of the beach but can be very dangerous because of the surf sweeping across the rocks. Numerous fishers have been swept from the rocks and drowned. Wear a life jacket, and don't wear gumboots, even if you are intending to stay on the rocks.
- Horse riding from the horse park, Coast Rd (past the golf links).
- Muriwai Golf Club, Coast Rd. Golf links close to the beach.
- Muriwai Surf School, ☏ +64 21 4 78734. Every day 10am-6pm. Surfing lessons, and hire of surfboards, bodyboards, wetsuits and blokarts (sand yachts).
- Don't light fires or solid fuel barbeques.
Buy
- Muriwai Top Shop, 189 Motutara Rd. M 7am-5pm, Tu-Su 7am-8pm (summer; closes 7pm in winter). Fishing bait and tackle and general goods. Takeaway food (not on Mondays). Also cafe behind the shop, open in summer F-Sa 4-9pm, Su 9am-4pm.
Eat
- Muriwai Golf Club restaurant and bar. Every day.
- Sand Dunz Beach Cafe, 409 Motutara Rd. Every day 7:30am-7:30pm, but winter 7:30am-5:30pm. Cafe, takeaways, ice creams. Right by the beach. Not the cheapest, but alternatives are limited.
- Waimauku, where you turn off the highway, has a supermarket, cafe, takeaways.
Drink
Sleep
There are a number of accommodation options not listed here.
- Muriwai Beach Motor Camp, ☏ +64 9 411 9262, +64 21 753 370, info@muriwaimotorcamp.co.nz. Right by the beach. Adult $14.
Connect
Go next
- Helensville - a town to the north, with Kaipara Harbour cruises and fishing, and natural thermal pools and skydiving at Parakai
- Piha - a beach to the south
- West Auckland