Category: Medium Duration: 60mins Rating: 8/10
Many tourists and locals alike whip past the Anawhata turn off, on their way to Piha or Karekare, without a second thought. Not many turn off here to explore one of the West Coasts’ best kept secrets, Anawhata Beach. That’s their loss!
Drive towards Piha and look for the Anawhata sign. Drive approximately 10 kilometres, past the very occasional house, until you reach the end of the road and the beach carpark – with a spectacular view of the ocean.
There is no vehicle access to the beach, which also helps to keep away the crowds. Instead there is a relatively steep path. Going down is quite easy but coming back up is hard work.
Anawhata has a wild natural beauty about it and there are lots of interesting rock formations. There’s plenty of space to relax and explore.
Pack a picnic and have a break before tackling the hill back up to the car.
