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Auckland Beaches: Bethells (Te Henga)
Deja vu may creep up on you here: this is the beach down which Xena and Hercules stride. Many cast and crew on the US television productions, notably the warrior princess herself, were New Zealanders. But the beach has another, definitively local heroine. A point to the north is named for legendary Erangi. Forbidden to see her lover, she strapped their child onto her back, dove off the point and swam north to reach him. The Maori named this beach Te Henga. for the way the sand dunes formed, like the upturned
hull of a canoe.
Bethells is the preserve of a national icon, the classic kiwi batch.
In other places these modest
cottages, often passed down for generations, are giving way to expensive,
modem homes; but
here they still hold their own.
Behind the beach a trail leads into the shady reserve of Lake Wainamu,
where there are
swimming spots and walking tracks.
The Way50 mins drive from central Auckland. From the suburb of Henderson take
Swanson Road, then Scenic Drive North, Te Henga Road, and Bethells Road,
A caution: These beaches are inviting but rough. Be careful in the water and on the rocks - see The Rules.
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