Auckland Beaches: Karekare

Karekare: Vaughn, Rob and Scott check out the surf - Gerri Eller/NZ.Com 1998

The Maori named this wild beach for its boisterous waters.

Karekare: Phyllis surfcasting. - Gerri Eller/NZ.Com 1998

The sense of isolation here inspired New Zealand film-maker Jane Campion to cast Karekare as the lonely shoreline in her dark Victorian tale "The Piano".

Karekare: seaside memorials are set into the cliffs along the coast. - Gerri Eller/NZ.Com 1998

Set into the cliffs to the north is a plaque of remembrance, one of hundreds in every corner of the country, this one for two dozen surf lifesavers who left for war in Europe and never came back.

To the south you can follow the path of the old rail-line around the coast to a stranded steam engine boiler. Check the tides first or you my be stranded with it.

Karekare: An escape from the heat at Karekare Falls. - Gerri Eller/NZ.Com 1998

A short hike up the road behind the beach, the Karekare Falls tumble into a shady clearing.

The Way

60 minutes drive from central Auckland. Head west to the suburb of Glen Eden. Take West Coast Road and turn right onto Scenic Drive. Turn left onto Piha Road and follow it to Karekare Road. Another route is through the next suburb south, Titirangi, then onto Scenic Drive, Piha Road, then Karekare Road.

A caution: These beaches are inviting but rough. Be careful in the water and on the rocks - see The Rules.