As I sank my toes into the golden sands of Wenderholm beach, I let out a huge sigh of relief. The Mediterranean and the Atlantic are great, sure, but the waters of the Pacific gently lapping onto a north Auckland beach mean I’m home.
Wenderholm was the first regional park to be created in Auckland, New Zealand. It’s a gorgeous curving bay, fringed by shady grassy lawns just asking to be picnicked on or home to a casual game of cricket. Wenderholm is also an easy half hour drive from central Auckland, meaning once you’ve explored the heart of the city, it’s a perfect candidate for a day trip.
New Zealand has no native land mammals, but it has a huge amount of diversity in bird types, from the famous kiwi to the teeny New Zealand dotterel pictured above. My mum is a keen birder and although I’m nowhere near her level, I was delighted to see this little guy. There are only about 1700 of them left so it was very special, and we even managed to spot a couple more along the beach.
Blissing out
Another two dotterel… and how beautiful is the colour of that water?!
Such a deserted beach… we became (almost) outraged we had to share it with four other people!
A perfect spot in the sun… anyone for a barbeque?
If you’re not set up for a barbeque, then just over the hill from Wenderholm is the beautiful river village of Puhoi. First settled by emigrants from Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) in 1863, it’s now famous mainly for the cruisy kayaking that lets you explore the river banks, and for its cheese factory. Now you may be thinking… Jessi, you’re lactose intolerant, not ideal… and you’d be right! But my dad and my brother are cheese fiends, and so lunch at the Puhoi Valley cheese factory cafe was on. I didn’t mind as I love the tranquil setting there, and even the non-cheese meals are delicious.
Cafe to the left, factory to the right
Of course I wouldn’t dream of waking the cheese!
My dad and brother (and our dog!) relaxing on the lovely big deck
Suitably refreshed, it was time to make our way from the East Coast to the West. Fortunately near Auckland, this doesn’t take long at all, as the city is located on a narrow isthmus between two harbours. You can swap golden dunes for black sand beaches quicker than you can say “Taumata whakatangi hangakoauau o tamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nuku pokai whenua kitanatahu” – New Zealand’s longest place name!
The black sand beaches along the West Coast are a result of volcanic explosions. A stunning feature in their own right, they meet the crashing surf of the Tasman Sea to form these gorgeous panoramas. Watching those huge rollers come in is quite mesmerising! Also bound to lull you into watching for hours are Muriwai’s gannets. One particular spot, just around the corner from the township, is home to about 1,200 pairs from August to March, all crammed onto a few tiny rocks!
These surf beaches are not really for swimmers, or even beginner surfers… and I wouldn’t recommend rock fishing here either, as many would-be fishermen have to be saved each year by the tireless coastal patrols. Best to stick to watching from the clifftops.
Feeding time!
There are so many other places near Auckland that make amazing day trips – Leigh and Matakana, or Waiheke Island, or either of these two beautiful beaches above to name just a few. Depending on where you head for, you might find buzzing cafes or a deserted beach – the beauty of New Zealand is that both are never far away!
