Road trip guide: Conquering the Whatipu Beach
Whatipu Beach is the name of a remote black sandy beach located on the wild west coast of the Auckland region of the North Island of New Zealand.
The road to the beach is mostly unpaved and rather narrow at places. Starting at Huia, it is 9.3km (5.77 miles) long. The drive comprises Huia Road (paved) and Whatipu Road (unpaved). The road is only one and a half lanes, so drive carefully and slowly to avoid oncoming traffic. It leads to Whatipu, a remote beach utilized as a scientific reserve, located at the south-western coastal corner of the Waitakere Ranges Regional Parkland.
The road winds over the hills to the coast. It crosses a ford and navigates a windy gravel road for the last stretch. As sightings of other cars begin to dwindle, you'll feel as though you're heading off on a mysterious adventure into the wilderness. At the end of the road there’s a carpark and a camping.