Piha Beach or Muriwai Beach, and where Bethells and Karekare fit

Piha is the beach that appears on postcards of the west coast. Tourism New Zealand calls it a black-sand surf beach west of Auckland with walks through native forest in the hills behind it, and lists Lion Rock and a nearby waterfall walk among its highlights.^19,20 Halfway along the sand rises Lion Rock, an islet that splits the bay.¹

It also has plenty going on around it. The village store has been open since 1945, the surf club runs a restaurant and bar, and there is a campground and a range of cottages and beach houses to rent.^21,15,22 Trails into the hills start right near the beach, and the Kitekite Falls Track is given as 15 minutes to the waterfall by one agency page and about 30 minutes by another.^23,24,25

The surf club adds a layer of safety that matters on this coast. The Piha lifeguards have been on duty since their club began in 1934, and they rank their stretch of sand among the busiest patrolled anywhere in New Zealand.^26,2 If this is your first time on the coast and you want sand, a meal and a forest walk all within reach, choose Piha. You can arrive without a plan and still fill the day, eat well and find lifeguards on duty in the summer months, and if the surf is too wild you have forest walks a few minutes away.

Bethells, also known as Te Henga, is the beach for people who find Piha too busy. Tourism New Zealand finds it more intimate than its neighbours, with a wide apron of sand set back from the waves and a shallow lagoon where the river meets the sea.⁵ The regional agency gives it a 45-minute drive from central Auckland.¹⁸

Its secret hides behind the dunes. Lake Wainamu is a calm freshwater lake popular with families with young children, a welcome change from the surf.⁶ From the car park you reach the beach by walking down the Waitakere River.⁴¹ The agency also notes that the black sand can heat up a lot, and it tells visitors not to leave their jandals behind.³⁷

There are trade-offs. Surf lifeguards patrol Bethells only in late spring, summer and early autumn.³⁰ The long coastal walk north from here, the Te Henga Walkway, is described on the regional agency's walkway page as closed and inaccessible because of large slips; the page gives no date, so check Auckland Council before planning it.⁴² And there is no village to speak of, so bring your food and water with you. Bethells rewards people who come prepared: a picnic, a towel for a swim in the lake and good shoes for the dunes make it a very different day from the bustle of Piha.

The beach and rainforest tour on this site goes to Piha: its listing names the Waitakere Ranges, bush tracks in the rainforest and the black sand of Piha Beach, over 5 hours from Auckland. It starts from $118 and includes pickup. That makes it the simplest way to see Piha without a car, with a guide who explains the forest on the way. It does not list Muriwai, Bethells or Karekare, so if those matter to you, look at the other options below or plan a second day.

For Muriwai, a 7-hour west coast tour starts from $103 and lists Muriwai Beach, the gannet colony, a brewery lunch and North Head among its stops. Its listing notes that bird numbers at the colony vary through the year, and you should weigh that stop against the closure the regional agency reports.⁴

Karekare appears on the private tours. A private half day with Mount Eden, Karekare and Piha starts from $164 for 5 hours, and a 7-hour private day with Mount Eden, Piha, Arataki and Karekare Falls starts from $188. We found no GetYourGuide listing built around Bethells, so you will need your own car to get there.