You approach through pine rows on sandy tracks, the forest floor cushioned with fallen needles that silence your footsteps. The trees thin gradually, then suddenly you're standing at the forest edge where roots grip the last dune remnants and beach grasses take over. The ocean appears all at once—a line of blue-grey beneath sky, the sound of surf replacing the whisper of wind through pine needles.
“The pine plantation backing directly onto beach creates an immediate forest-to-ocean transition found nowhere else along this coast.”
Credit: UnsplashWhite cliffs over a desert beach
The beach itself runs wide and empty, the sand pale grey and firm near the waterline, softer and lighter where it meets the dune base. Driftwood logs collect at the interface between forest and beach, creating natural benches and wind breaks. The forest provides afternoon shade, a rare commodity on west coast beaches, and the pine scent mingles with salt air in a combination particular to this stretch. Walk south and the forest continues for kilometers, backing the beach in unbroken green.
Few visitors make the effort to find this southern section when the main Waitārere Beach offers easier access and amenities. You'll share the space with dog walkers, the occasional horse rider, and those who prefer solitude to facilities. Sunsets happen behind you, over the forest canopy, but the evening light on the water remains worth the eastward view. The forest accepts your footprints in pine needles as you return to your car, the sound of waves fading behind the trees.
