Ninety Mile Beach

Wild Northland surf beach and tidal sand road stretching along the Tasman Sea coast.

Ninety Mile Beach -- or Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē, its Māori name -- stretches roughly 90 kilometres along Northland's west coast. It is officially gazetted as a road, though rental car companies will not insure vehicles driven on it. There is a reason for that: this is wild, open Tasman Sea coastline, and the conditions change with every tide. (The name is itself a settler-era miscalculation — the beach is closer to 55 miles long.)

The best access point is at Waipapakauri. Head north out of Kaitaia, through Awanui, and follow the signs. The road ends at a car park where you should stop, get out, and check the conditions before driving onto the sand. Aim to arrive about three hours after high tide, but always assess the surface -- even with the right timing, currents, wind, and the moon can change things dramatically between tides.

At the northern end, Te Paki Stream serves as the main on-ramp and off-ramp for vehicles and tour buses. The Te Paki Sand Dunes on the northern side of the stream rise up to 150 metres — sandboarding them is the most exhilarating free activity in Northland. Carry on north and you reach Cape Reinga, the spiritual headland where Māori tradition has the souls of the dead departing for the ancestral homeland of Hawaiki.

The beach is a serious surf fishing destination. At the end of January the annual Ninety Mile Beach Fishing Contest draws anglers from across the country. Snapper, kahawai, shark, and flounder can all be caught here depending on the season, by surf casting or drag net. Tuatua, a shellfish, can be gathered in the shallows.

Every tree along this coast grows with a lean to the east -- a testament to the relentless westerlies blowing off the Tasman. When the sky is clear, the sunsets are extraordinary: a huge orange fireball dropping straight into the ocean.

Guide

Getting Around

Driving on Te Oneroa a Tohe is nothing like driving on a road. The surface is sand, the lanes are unmarked, and the hazards are real. These rules apply specifically to Ninety Mile Beach.

Bring a shovel. You may not need it, but you do not want to be stuck without one.

Stay in the middle zone. Drive roughly halfway between the soft sand near the dunes and the waterline. Follow existing tyre tracks -- you can tell from the depth whether someone ahead hit soft sand.

Do not drive near the dunes. The sand is soft and you will get stuck.

Do not drive in the water. Rogue waves known as sweeps can rush in and literally sweep a vehicle away. You may see the roof of a buried car poking through the sand.

Watch for corrugation and humps. The sand sometimes forms speed humps or hollows. Take these at an angle -- hitting them head-on can snap a front axle. Travel slowly over corrugated sections.

Cross streams at an angle toward the dunes, not the sea. You do not want to be caught in a sweep.

Do not speed. It is far more dangerous than any road. The locals who use this as an alternative route do not speed, and that should tell you something.

No sudden turns. Sharp steering inputs at speed can flip a vehicle as the sand creates ridges and resistance. SUVs and 4WDs are more prone to tipping than cars.

Passing traffic. There are no painted lanes. Let oncoming vehicles pass on whichever side comes naturally -- do not change your mind at the last moment.

Give way to anything bigger than you.

If you see someone stuck, stop and help. Next time it could be you.

There are many exit ramps along the beach but only about three heading north are suitable for tourists. Te Paki Stream is the northernmost. The locals use the others, but they have the vehicles and know the terrain -- you can spot these exits by the tyre tracks going straight up the dunes and disappearing over the top.

Keep an eye out for wildlife: penguins, sea birds, and occasionally stingrays or a stranded whale or shark.

Guide

Things to Do

Ninety Mile Beach is one of New Zealand's great wild places. The activities here are elemental: drive on the sand, fish from the surf, sandboard the dunes, walk with the wind at your back.

Guide

When to Go

Summer (December to February) is the busiest time on Ninety Mile Beach, with the fishing contest in late January and the best beach weather. The days are long, the sand warm, and the evening sunsets over the Tasman are at their most spectacular. Christmas and New Year bring a surge of New Zealand holidaymakers; if you prefer solitude, come in early December or February.

The beach is driveable year-round, but winter brings more unpredictable conditions and shorter windows of firm sand. The westerly winds that lean every tree on this coast toward the east are strongest in winter — exhilarating rather than unpleasant on a clear day, but reason to check the forecast carefully before heading onto the sand.

The Ninety Mile Beach Fishing Contest takes place in late January and is a good reason to come if fishing is your purpose. Book accommodation in Kaitaia well in advance.