Introduction

Bethells Beach

Another beautiful West Coast beach is Bethells. By now you may have become familiar with wild black sand beaches with big waves, but Bethells has the advantage of being in close proximity to a very cool place - Lake Wainamu. Here you will find a vast area of sand dunes - perfect for running, sliding and jumping off. The area around Bethells also has some excellent opportunities for hiking
 
Get out of town!

Take the north western motorway (highway 16) west before taking the Lincoln Road off ramp. At the lights turn right into Universal Drive and then go straight through at the roundabout onto Swanson Road. Stay on this road, it becomes Scenic Drive, before turning right onto Te Henga Road. As you head down the hill you will see Falls Road on your left (see Cascade Kauri Park below). Stay on Te Henga Road until it joins Bethells Road. Just before the beach you will cross over a one-lane bridge. Here there is a small car park on the left and a track that leads to Lake Wainamu. If you continue down the road it is less than a kilometre to Bethells beach.

Travel times

It will take you just under an hour to get to Bethells Beach from Auckland. There are a number of interesting places and hikes to check out on the way.

Don’t forget

If you swim please stay between the flags. Bethells is dangerous. Swimming in Lake Wainamu is good (and safe) but remember, always check the water for depth and objects before leaping into lakes and rivers!
 

Stay/Eat/Drink

Stay

There are not really any suitable places to stay out here so Bethells is probably better as a day trip.

Food and drink

In summer there is a small coffee selling caravan in the beach car park, but if you plan on staying long you will need to bring food and drink supplies with you.

What to DO

Must do!

Check out the dunes at Lake Wainamu. Take something to slide on – a boogie board is perfect, so is a flattened cardboard box... an ironing board is not!

Have a go at the GOOT Challenge. How far can you jump off a sand dune?

At Bethells there are a few things to do:

• Hike up to Lake Wainamu. Follow the track from the small car park (described above) and head through the gate and onto the sand dunes. From here there is no set track – so you are free to explore this unique environment. Head up towards the top of the dunes you will eventually be able to see the lake. You will also find some pretty steep dunes, which are fantastic for launching yourself off. The Lake is safe for swimming and is an excellent place for a picnic if the weather is appropriate. If you are wondering where all the sand came from it originated in the volcanic zone (central North Island) and was carried northwards up the coast by longshore currents. If was then blown inland from Bethells beach by strong westerly winds. The access for the sand has now been blocked off by development in the area. When you are ready to leave walk back down the stream and then follow the track on the left-hand side back to the car. Allow 2 hours to explore this area.
  
• Down at the beach you can walk southwards along the beach or go northwards around the headland to O’Neill Bay. There are a few caves to explore around this area.
  
• Sometimes there is good surf at Bethells or O’Neills, but as with all of these West Coast beaches be careful. Big waves and strong rips are not really ideal for the novice surfer. When swimming stay between the flags.
  
• There are a couple of interesting tracks in this area. Here are three good ones to get you started.
  
• From O’Neill Bay (or from opposite the Lake Wainamu track entrance) you can join the Te Henga Walkway. This track climbs high above the beach before following the coast northwards. The views are impressive but tread carefully as there are a number of exposed cliffs. Return the same way.
  
• The Cascade Kauri Park on Falls Road (see Route above) has a couple of good options. The Auckland City Walk is an easy 30 minute stroll through some excellent forest, which includes Kauri trees. The Montana Heritage Trail provides a longer 8km hike on good tracks. Parts of the Upper Kauri track are particularly nice.
  
• Another excellent and more adventurous walk, which will involve some good navigation to find, is the Goldie Bush Track. From Swanson Road turn right onto Waitakere Road, left onto Bethells Road, right onto Wairere Road, and then right onto Horsman Road. Did you get all that? Once you find the track it is a little easier to follow. This excellent loop should be followed clockwise (to save the best for last). It starts off on a easy gravel track (take the left-hand fork) and drops down to the Mokoroa Stream. From here the track makes its way upstream – there are a number of river crossings so be prepared to get wet. Eventually you will make it to the impressive Mokoroa Falls. From here the track climbs steeply back up to the car park. Allow 2.5 – 3 hours for this one. Hopefully you can find the road home.

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