---
author: "Robert Pearce"
authorTwitter: "@RobertWPearce"
date: "2020-01-04"
desc: "Things to do and see in Piha, Muriwai, Bethells Beach, Mercer Bay, and Karekare Beach, New Zealand"
image: "/images/piha.jpg"
keywords: "piha, muriwai, bethells beach, mercer bay, karekare beach, new zealand"
photoCredit: "emilycouldmakethat"
photoWebsite: "https://www.instagram.com/emilycouldmakethat"
title: "Piha, Muriwai, Bethells Beach, Mercer Bay, Karekare Beach"
---

Things to do and see in Piha, Muriwai, Bethells Beach, Mercer Bay, and Karekare Beach, New Zealand.

Or go back to the [Auckland index](/new-zealand/auckland/index.html) or the
[main New Zealand index](/new-zealand/index.html).

## Piha

### Food / Drink
* Piha Store: https://goo.gl/maps/jrxzyu7vSNybg29d6
  * Get ready for some delicious coffee and other basic necessecities with some
  serious attitude. All in good fun, though. Ask how they feel about Trump.
* Piha Cafe: https://goo.gl/maps/Azkv68RqNf3LBjBe8
  * Next to the Piha Store. Really good food and a very chill vibe.
* Piha RSA: https://goo.gl/maps/KXWFLPDXG7yWkt7K8
  * https://rsapiha.co.nz/restaurant/

### Activities / Things To See
An excellent day of walking at Piha goes something like this (tide dependent):
1. walk the Kitekite track before tourists arrive
1. drive down to the beach then as far north as you can (there's a car park)
1. from there, go down to the beach and walk northward (water on your left),
   being sure to keep a look out for a mound of sand which leads to caves (for
   the brave)
1. at the end of the beach (north), you will see a small wooden placard that
   marks a trailhead; this is the Laird Thomson Track. Take it as far as you
   want and come back to your car.
1. drive down to Lion Rock and park
1. go up and back down Lion Rock
1. given it is low tide, go southward down the beach and around the cliff. You
   will see exposed beach between the mainland and some other cliffy bits. This
   spot on the right is called Taitomo Rock. On the right, there is a small
   opening that leads into a cave and out the other side -- surfers and paddle
   boarders use this to get past the waves (dangerous). You will also see a
   medium-sized pool that is protected from the ocean by rocks -- swim here. You
   can see pictures of this opening and the pool [here](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Taitomo+Rock/@-36.9590867,174.4631168,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipO-NlT2ppDCf3pt5YluoNDqGO43rhANj0-TeMrH!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipO-NlT2ppDCf3pt5YluoNDqGO43rhANj0-TeMrH%3Dw158-h86-k-no!7i2048!8i1108!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x6d0d47fb5a9ce6fb:0x500ef6143a29917!2sAuckland,+New+Zealand!3b1!8m2!3d-36.8484597!4d174.7633315!3m4!1s0x6d0d6fb422407085:0xb34289994cfc1c13!8m2!3d-36.9590869!4d174.4631159).
   Behind this pool on the landward side, there is a low-lying area with
   vegetation and more sand -- walk into here and keep your eye on the left
   side, for there is a track (the Tasman Lookout) that will take you up the
   cliff and back to the south piha beach car park area.

* Kitekite Falls (loop track): https://goo.gl/maps/izjxaYSoggp7eVUv7
* Lion Rock: https://goo.gl/maps/fLsoq9BYYzfzfMpb6
* Laird Thomson Track: https://goo.gl/maps/bFPGbGqkFS9X8AeB6
* Marawhara Track: https://goo.gl/maps/4KU256b1PaM9gjsU9
* Taitomo Rock: https://goo.gl/maps/5UMdvsh3qqEjD2ea8
* Tasman Lookout: https://goo.gl/maps/jquqZbwiKBQ6nzaT9

## Muriwai
Beach where I proposed to my wife at sunset.

### Food / Drink
* Muriwai Lodge Store: https://goo.gl/maps/DzEjtA8d5ucaMn3F6
  * These are good people. Give them your $ in exchange for delectable delights.
* Sand Dunz Beach Cafe: https://goo.gl/maps/4KDRCa9JjibXgWQXA

### Activities / Things To See
* Walk on the beach, surf, have fun
* Near the [vehicle beach entrance](https://goo.gl/maps/Ha2hSVGBKKm2ToA59), if
  you park at the [Muriwai Horse Park](https://goo.gl/maps/mY72tJ9WufJSLn9XA),
  you can go on a bush walk behind the car park and go as far as you like for a
  ways. It's a nice little traipse through some woods, and we did our engagement
  photoshoot back there!
* Gannet (big sea bird) colony (what most tourists come to Muriwai on buses to
  see): https://goo.gl/maps/6ubgXjhuovrYXBm56
* Mokoroa Falls Track: https://goo.gl/maps/gK7Sho39p7LCBaoS6
* Goldie Bush Walkway: https://goo.gl/maps/CcyZpHAT7mBK6BceA
  * Instead of driving to Mokoroa Falls, you can instead start on the other side
  of the bush and do stream crossings (bring shoes you can get very wet) and
  actually work for it. It's a multi-hour journey but is a lot of fun. Don't
  lock your keys in your car like I did.

## Mercer Bay Loop Walk
This loop track is about and hour of downhill then uphill. Very epic scenery.
https://goo.gl/maps/S491SuyEoRvZkHv36

## Bethells Beach
Really nice walk on the beach. Be careful in the little stream after there's
been rainfall upriver, for flash flooding can happen.
https://goo.gl/maps/oX7koY7FqVFhLnvH9

* Te Henga Walkway: https://goo.gl/maps/aHur14Aj8wSXTWuc7
  * Parking https://goo.gl/maps/dPTZeXxfVdYN5QvM6
  * This is one of our favourite walks. From the car park, walk over the stream,
  go through a field on the left (towards the beach), and after ~5min you'll
  see the trailhead for Te Henga. We tend to take this up and over the cliff and
  down to the very secluded O'neill Bay.

## Karekare Beach
Really nice walk on the beach with no human developments around.
https://goo.gl/maps/1GQRv72zGYZcTCaL7
