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4. A guide to Hibiscus Coast beaches.
Algies Bay to Mangawhai Heads.
Page 4/ of 4.
Algies Bay.
-Algies Bay has about 1.3 kilometres metres of sandy beach. With vehicle access on to the beach for small boat launching near high tide. At low tide there is more than 100 metres, across the sand to reach the water.
Snells beach.
-Separated from Algies Bay by a head land has about 2 kilometres of sandy beach. With vehicle access on to the beach for small boat launching near high tide. At low tide the water is a substantial distance from the shore, due to the shallow sand slope.
Brick Bay.
- Has about 200 metres of sandy beach.In a small secluded bay.
Jones Bay.
- Has about 400 metres of pebbly beach near the entrance to Tawharanui Regional Park. Some people fish and dive here, there is a scallop bed here that heavily plundered. You'll probably have to swim a few hunded metres to get your limit of twenty scallops.
Click here for a larger Map of Tawharanui Regional Park.
Tawharanui Regional Park.
- Is arguably the best all round Hibiscus Coast beach.
It's my number one favourite Auckland beach.
It has about 2.5 kilometres of white sandy beaches interrupted by a few rock outcrops. With good scenery.
Anchor Bay has the best swimming beaches in the park. Go to the end of the road to get there.
The bay is separated into four beaches by rocky outcrops.
The eastern end beach ( right hand side when facing the sea ) has about 325 metres of white sand.
The central beach is the beach nearest the carpark and there fore the most popular, with about 275 metres of sand. This beach can be crowded at peak times, ( Sunny weekend afternoons ). So if you want the least number of people on the beach, turn left when facing the sea, and keep walking along the beach, until your satisfied.
You'll find the western beach ( left hand side when facing the sea ) has about 720 metres of white sand.
Next is the far western beach has about 900 metres of white sand.
So in total including the rocky outcrops there is about 2.5 kilometres of white sand and rocks, to enjoy here.
There can be good surf here when there is a north-easterly swell.
Tawharanui Regional Park also has native coastal forest and regenerating wetlands offering walking an ecology trail and fisherman's track ( part of the coast is a marine reserve so check location signs before fishing ).
Diving and snorkeling in the marine reserve.
An open sanctuary with a pest proof fence to protect native wildlife, so keep an eye out for native birds, if you like them.
The park is a working farm of sheep and cows, although they're fenced out of the beach areas.
There is an Ocean Beach Campground open to the public, with basic facilities of water, toilets, shelter trees and grass over sandy undulating ground. It has a gate combination lock. Booking is required through the Auckland Regional Authority, who then give you the combination for the lock. The number is changed regularly.
Campervans can park at Lagoon carpark for up to 2 nights.
No dogs.
Mathesons Bay.
- A sheltered beach, good in all tides.
Suitable for family picnicking, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and fishing.
There's a children's playground and public toilets.
The sand is pleasantly coarse,(You can brush it off easily).
Turn right about 1 kilometre before Leigh at Mathesons Bay signpost.
Leigh Harbour.
I've included Leigh Harbour because there is a good sheltered free concrete boat ramp, and adjacent wharf for loading and unloading passengers, etc.
People also fish off this wharf or nearby rocks.
There is adjacent trailer parking, but it's often full during peak times. i.e. Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
I wouldn't go here for a beach, although there is a small beach on the left, with a house occupying most of the adjacent land.
Goat Island Marine Reserve beach.
- Has a pleasantly coarse sand that makes it easy to brush off.
This is the best place for a shore dive from the Hibiscus Coast beaches as well as the Auckland Region, if you want to observe New Zealand marine life without harvesting anything.
A good entry/exit area to the water is about 50 metres to the right of the stream.
Most divers swim along the channel on the right of the island and either go left along the island or right along the coast.
The car park and beach can be crowded on sunny weekends.
The University of Auckland has a research facility near Goat Island known as the Leigh Marine Laboratory, not usually open to the public.
Not the best beach for children, because there are submerged rocks to stub your toes on, and there's often a lot of divers spreading equipment all over the place, at
peak weekend times ( 10.00a.m to 4.00p.m.)Pakiri beach.
- Has white sand that goes about 6.8 kilometres to Te Arai point.
Good for swimming and surfing when the swell is from the east.
Excellent for horse riding along the beach.
There's a privately owned camp ground at Pakari.
Te Arai Point.
Is popular with surfers.
From Te Arai point is more magnificent white sand beach about 9 kilometres long to-
Mangawhai Heads.
- Mangawhai Heads is popular for surfing.
There is a Mangawhai Heads Surf Lifesaving Club, Mangawhai Golf Club course, and a village of houses.
Boats can be launched into the Mangawhai estuary, where there is a sand bar to be crossed to get to the sea that, requires a low swell to avoid breaking waves swamping boats.
There is a large area of white sand dunes on the south side of Mangawhai Heads, where rare native birds breed and feed.The boundary for the Auckland Region and the Hibiscus Coast beaches is just south of Mangawhai Heads.
1. Click here to return from to Weiti River to Gulf Harbour.
2. Click here to Shakespear Park to Red Beach.
3.Click here to return from Algies Bay - Mangawhai Heads to
Orewa Beach to Scandretts Bay.
Return from Algies Bay - Mangawhai Heads to Auckland quick beach guide.
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