A great day trip if you're visiting Auckland. It has amazing black sand. My family and I came here…read moreas part of our Coast to Coast tour and had a good walk here after lunch. The gannets were nesting and the trail allowed you to see their nesting location and brought you to a cave and directly onto the beach. It's absolutely beautiful. The water was so clear and the sky was beautiful.

Muriwai beach has always been an epic beach. Whether you're looking for a whole say soaking in the…read moresun or a quick drive out there and back to fill in some time, it's got a lot going for it. The first time I went to Muriwai was on a school trip where we went to the Surf Life Saving club and did a day learning about surf beaches. Brilliant for a westie kid, or any one in New Zealand really, who can't be kept away from the water. It's got the typical west coast beach black sand but somehow doesn't feel quite as crazy as Piha does. I'm sure the rips are equally as bad, so you should be equally aware of the water, but the wind doesn't seem to blow around as much. If you're out there you should go check out the gannett colony. It surely is a site to see, I love the rocks they sit on! And the look out also gives you a good view of this amazing beach.

We went here on recommendation of a friend and what a discovery. This is one of those reviews I…read morewasn't sure I should write because once the secret is out, some of the magic of this place will be lost in the crowds. There's a few in the know already because we certainly weren't alone but it's absolultely one of the quietest beaches I've been to in a long time. It's calm and safe, albeit a little sharp underfoot and the tide never seems to go out very far. There's a grassy area under the trees if you prefer or a reasonable amount of shade under the rockfaces. It's really beautiful and we spent an afternoon here quietly relaxing with everyone doing their own thing (read boys throwing things around and digging holes, the girl making a beautiful sand sculpture and the parents snoozing and reading). Bliss.

Good beach for swimming when a nor'easterly blows (it's calm then). Also not very tidal, unlike (to…read moremy knowledge) all other Manukau harbour beaches. Been going there for years.

This has to be one of the busiest beaches during the summer months! And it's pretty obvious why…read more The beach itself is absolutely beautiful. The water is clear and crisp and the sand is squeaky clean... it actually squeaks sometimes when you rub your feet in it! This is a great beach for the family as more often that not there are little waves, which make for some fun boogie boarding or body surfing. As Jacob said it's not often that there's real surf-able waves here but when the east coast swell gets up and hits at the right angle you might be in for a treat. There are some awesome rock pools to explore and a hill to climb which gives you a great look out over the bay. But be careful! I once saw a group of young kids get washed along the rocks as a set wave rolled in. Make sure you accompany your kids and only go exploring if there aren't big waves and the tide's not too high!

Beautiful Anchor Bay is a day trip spent perfectly in one of our regions golden treasures…read more I spent Easter Sunday here with my son and partner, we arrived not too long after lunch, and the car park close by was already packed to maximum capacity. A short walk down to the beach via the beach path and we found a lovely patch of sand with our name on it. I spent my time here swimming in the beautiful clean cool ocean, body surfing waves, and sun tanning. I recommend if you're not too relaxed to take a walk down the beach towards the rock pools which fill up and explore a deep human sized rock pool that you can dive bomb into! Sublime. The little kids will enjoy running about the rock pools and soaking in them, or searching for the little and big crabs that call it their home. The oceans out beyond the bay are protected as a marine reserve so the fish/sea creatures are happy and you won't see a fisherman in this regional park area. I love the peace I feel at Anchor Bay and always cherish my time here.

Hillsborough Bay is a place of beauty. Just off the top of Hillsborough Road there is also a track…read moreyou can take which is like walking through the jungle to get there. At the bottom lies a green and a picnic table. Carry on across the road down steps to the bay and you will be in awe of the beautiful surroundings. You can see a couple of mountains before you. The setting is tranquil and there are wooden benches to sit on. Take a book and sit under the shade of a tree. There is a children's park at the end, however, it is rarely used. There is also a beach area, however its quite stoney. If you want to meditate or go somewhere peaceful this is your place.

Commonly know as the 'Secret Beach' this reserve is so awesome. Probably one of my top five spots…read morein Auckland, which is saying a lot. You walk down a set of steps to find the cutest little beach in what seems like the middle of the city. And the best thing is that there is usually no one there! This is unheard of for most Auckland beaches and I love that it's like that. The beach looks out over the harbour and also at the harbour bridge, which makes it the perfect date spot. I've also got friends who've had wedding photos there. But you do need to be aware of when it is low and high tide as it goes out a little way. We like to go get a coffee from Jervois Road and take it down with us. Nature truly provides the best setting to enjoy a good coffee.

Super beach reserve which looks out towards the Chelsea Sugar Factory. There is a toilet and…read moreshower in the reserve which is handy. On the beach there are lovely low hanging Pohutukawa which provide some shade if you want. The best time to come here is a couple of hours either side of high tide.

If you like venturing off the beaten track into the wilderness, Rimmer Road is a great little…read morehideaway spot that is far enough away from the city buzz to be a great experience but close enough to not be that big of a deal. About 20 minutes south of Muriwai main Beach Rimmer Road takes you to a gravel pot-hole ridden winding road that leads through a forest towards an often deserted car park. From there you must unload yourself and your belongings and start your short trek through bushes planted through a sandy base and up over the dunes. Here you will find a huge expanse of nothingness. If you look left you will see winding beach until forever... and if you look right you will see the same thing. Looking straight ahead out into the ocean you can see nothing at all, only in your imagination can you picture Australia thousands of kilometres away! This is an awesome spot to sit up on the dunes with your significant other and enjoy the quiet, only broken as the waves crash onto the shore. There are no lifeguards anywhere around here so unless you are a very confident swimmer, don't venture out into the water. If you're doing a beach trip with the family I'd recommend sticking to a patrolled beach.

My wife's family have been living in Te Atatu for over thirty years and believe it or not, they…read moredidn't know about this place until recently. I saw an article in the paper about secret beaches in Auckland and this was one of the beaches that was mentioned. The good thing is there is hardly anyone here in weekdays, mind you, you get people walking dogs and jogging on the weekends. It's a sandy beach but the surface is full of shells so you would need footwear to walk along here - well, I wear footwear but some of locals don't. There's a beautiful view of the city from an angle you've probably never encountered before. There is a also a nice walkaway which goes right around the to the next beach. It's a nice place to come for a long walk during summer. A great spot for kids, there is also a playground so plenty to keep them busy.

A great spot for a picnic, this little beach is a great place to bring the kids, go for a swim, or…read morewalk the dogs. My friend and I used to always come here during the week when the sun was out, because there'd be hardly anyone else here. We'd bring a blanket, some food and book, and have a relaxing afternoon in the sun, looking across the harbour at Auckland City. The water itself is harbour water, so it can be a bit muddy, but it's fun for the kids because it's flat as anything, and you always see lots of kids on floaties and people out on their kayaks. There's a playground in the reserve that's pretty decent, with bark as the base for safety. Make sure you bring your dog on a lead though because everyone brings their dogs down here, so if you're dog is the type to take off, it's much safer on a lead. We bring both our dogs down here and one of them loves running into the mud and into the water. The other just likes to roll around in the sand. The sand is quite shelly, actually. It's kind of like a really small Mission Bay, out west, with no shops and of course far less people.

I absolutely had to see a black sand beach on my trip to New Zealand and on our way to Hamilton we…read moredrove along the coast to Manu Bay. There are several small seaside towns to visit on the drive and though we didn't stay long to look around, it appeared there were some places for tourist shopping and some dining options. This beach was beautiful and I really wish I had more time to spend here. The black sand is striking yet soft on the footsies. There was a great menagerie of shells and rocks washed up along the beach that were fun to pick through. There are a lot of hills around, and there was a short little hike to a lookout point with a great view. Apparently one of the best surf sites on the North Islands west coast, it did have some surfers out there despite the weather being a bit nasty. There were places to rent gear if you're interested in some water activities. We also passed by several nice looking camping and recreation areas. Great stop and very glad I didn't miss it!!

If there was a competition to find the coolest beach swing I would have to say Titirangi would win…read morethe prize. My family, and everyone we bring to this beach-side park, agree that the rope swing which can take multiple swingers is a great ride. The rest of the playground is ok too, lots of equipment for the littlies. There is a wide grassy expanse adjacent to the park and then there is beautiful Titirangi Beach itself. This is a tidal beach so if you want a swim it is best to search out the Manukau Harbour timings. Wear shoes if you are walking the beach at low tide because the oyster shells are really sharp. Speaking of low tide, this is a lovely time to explore the bay and shore line. We bring our dog and can spend hours here. So close to Titirangi village that the takeaways are still nice and hot when you are unpacking them on the picnic blanket. We have also had a great time or two in the Titirangi Beach community hall.

We almost bought a house at Titirangi beach a couple of years ago and when the auction went…read moreanother way I was devastated. Titirangi beach is truly incredible. There are two sections for parking and a nice stretch of grass positioned opposite another separate grass field for sports play. There is also agreat little playground with some awesome swings. The playground is reached by going over top of a little creek that runs past the grass area. The beach itself is really nice too. Although in my opinion it is not a beach for sun-baking, swimming and spending the whole day chilling though. I see it as more of a beach made for a family picnic, a sweet stroll or a walk with the dog. Still it is a lovely beach.