Ahipara - Ninety Mile Beach

Ninety Mile Beach airial shot
Ninety Mile Beach from the air
New Zealand
Northland
Ahipara - Ninety Mile Beach

At the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach, the small settlement of Ahipara sits at the feet of the mountainous sand dunes which lead to the abandoned gum fields of the 1800’s.  At the peak of its popularity, around 2000 people, mostly Dalmatian (Croatian) and Maori, worked the gum-fields side-by-side, until the collapse of the gum market in the early 1900s.  Nowadays it’s simply a collection of beachside houses with a couple of shops where you can purchase basic supplies.  Nearby Shipwreck Bay is aptly named, and at low tide you can still see the wreck of the paddle steamer ‘Favourite’ which met its fate there in 1870

Ninety Mile Beach is a great spot for surf casting and digging for tua tua (shellfish). During low tide you can take your car up the beach for a ride. Four wheel drives can travel to Cape Reinga via Te Paki Stream.

Ahipara Accommodation "Our Pick"

Bellovista 
Five star beachfront accommodation. Each of the 2 apartment has sea views, a private patio and sleeps 2-5 persons.
68 Foreshore Road -- +64 9 409 4534 -- Website

Ahipara Activities "Our Selection"

Cape Reinga Adventures
Offers kayaking, fishing, quad biking, horse trekking, Cape Reinga tours, sandboarding, and camping adventures with local guides.
Phone: +64 9 409 8445 -- Website

Harrisons Cape Runner
Cape Reinga bus tour via Ninety Mile Beach. With stops at Aupouri Forest, Te Paki Stream Reserve, Tapotupotu Bay, Rarawa Beach, and The Ancient Kauri Kingdom.
123 North Road, Kaitaia -- +64 9 408 1033 -- Website

Okahu Estate
Small vineyard and winery situated 3.5km from Kaitaia on the road to Ahipara. Winning awards for their Chardonnay and Shiraz.
Phone: +64 9 408 2066 -- Website

NINETY MILE BEACH (TE ONEROA A TOHE)
Stretching for 55km from Reef Point near Ahipara in the South to Scott Point in the North, this beautiful West Coast beach is the only New Zealand beach which is a designated highway.  On 26 January 1932, Norman Wizard Smith broke the world land speed record here.  Bus tours regularly traverse the beach from Ahipara to Te Paki Stream on their way to Cape Reinga.  The beach is renowned for surf casting, surfing and wind-surfing, boasting one of the best left-hand point breaks in New Zealand, and at low tide you can dig for tuatua (please check with locals regarding daily catch limits).  If you have your own car (4WD), a drive up Ninety Mile Beach at low tide as far as Te Paki Stream is great fun.  Talk to locals about what to watch out for, as care is required.  In Maori mythology, the beach is known as Te Ara Wairua (spirits pathway) – the route taken by departed souls on their journey to the leaping point at Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga) - from there they travel to their homeland in Hawaiiki.

More Ninety Mile Beach - Ahipara images

Northland Region - Ahipara

ACCOMMODATION SPECIALS & GUEST REVIEWS

 

Ahipara - Ninety Mile Beach
Ahipara-Ninety Mile Beach


Bellovista
Bellovista


Just South of Ahipara