NInety Mile Beach

Ninety Mile Beach or Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhē (official name) is almost unending paradise on the far north-west coast of New Zealand. Rough waves of Tasman Sea with the combination of giant sand dunes and desert-like landscapes formed a unique beach, like nowhere else in the world.  

Even though it is called Ninety Mile Beach, the actual length of it is 88 kilometres which are equivalent of 55 miles only.

So the reason behind this inconsistency is that first European settlers didn`t have any speedometers. They knew that their horses could travel only 30 miles a day. And as long as it took them 3 days to travel the beach, they decided that the beach is 90 miles long. They didn`t take into account that sand reduces the pace of the horses.

Another name of Ninety Mile Beach – Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhē is more appropriate.
It can be translated as The Long Beach of Tōhē who was one of the chiefs of Ngāti
Kahu iwi (tribe), who used to live in Spirits Bay located to the east of Cape
Reinga. He used to travel south to visit his daughter and named a lot of places
along the way.

Back in the days, Australian airmail services used this beach as a runaway to land. But it is not used for planes anymore. Ninety Mile Beach in New Zealand is an official highway, which is used in case of floods and landslides on State Highway 1. However, it is most suitable for 4×4 vehicles and needs to be driven on with extreme care.

Due to untamed and wild conditions of the Tasman Sea, back in the ship-sailing days, Ninety Mile Beach had quite a few shipwrecks. Therefore, if you are lucky enough, one day you might see the remains of an ancient ship as the sand are always moving with the tides. By the way, while travelling to Ninety Mile Beach you have to take the time of the tides into account. It is very important to go around low tide (we recommend to use the rule: not earlier than 3 hours before the low tide and not later than 3 hours after it).

Photo Credit by Stuff.co.nz

Ninety Mile Beach is a perfect spot to take stunning photos, especially during sunsets. Also, it is one of the best places for surfcasting. One of the biggest New Zealand Fishing competitions – Snapper Bonanza takes place on Ninety Mile Beach once a year.

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Along the way, you will see Giant Sand Dunes. 150m in height, they attract a lot of people wanting to get some adrenaline by body-boarding the giant dunes down. Steep walk up will not only reward you with a stunning panorama of Tasman Sea but also with some serious speed up going down. Just do it, even grandmothers do it over here.

Things not to miss



– riding on the beach!
On car, quad bike, motorcycle or tourist bus – you won’t regret this experience. When on car – its better to access the beach on 4×4 and watch the tides, as during high tide it might be hard to drive as sand is too soft and its easy to get stuck.

– collecting shells!
You will amazed how many shells are hiding under sand throughout all 90 mile beach. Tasty and full of minerals and vitamins, Tuatuas are the most common shells you can collect on the beach. Just dig and harvest them, let them spit out the sand by keeping them in seawater for several hours, and then fry with garlic, butter and chili… yummmm!

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How to get there?

There are several access points to Ninety Mile Beach.

  1. The first option is to get to Ahipara, where you will see the signs towards the beach. However, this entrance is quite sandy and 4wd vehicle is highly recommended to drive through there.

  2. Waipapakauri ramp which is located about 20 km north of Kaitaia and provides safe and easy access to the Ninety Mile Beach all year round. It is used by private vehicles and tour buses.

  3. There are also ways in and out at Hukatere Hill, The Bluff and Te Paki Stream. Those routes are not recommended for 2wd cars.

Make sure you have enough petrol as there are no gas stations on the beach. If you are renting a car, check with your rental company if the insurance covers the car off-road. The beach is a very hazardous area to drive, take extra care.

If you get stuck on Ninety Mile Beach:

  1. Try to reverse in the tracks you made and look for the way around.
  2. Dig in front of the wheels and try going forward.
  3. Every car has a jack in the boot. Lift the wheels one by one and put some driftwood under it, then slowly reverse.
  4. If the water is reaching the car and the tide is coming in, leave the car and get to the safe place. Money can buy a car but not life.
  5. Plenty of cars going to Ninety Mile Beach daily, do not be afraid to ask for help.
    In case of emergency call 111.