Far north New Zealand, beyond Kaitaia on the North Island, is a stretch of almost endless sand -- the Ninety Mile Beach -- flanked by the Tasman Sea in the west and by forests in the east before the land drops into the Pacific on the other side of the Aupouri Peninsula.
No better place
For those seeking a quiet communion with Nature, there may be no better place than this.
At Ninety Mile Beach you can be as alone with Nature as nowhere else, with only the sound of the waves and the rustle of winds in the trees to keep you company in a contemplation of how glorious, even in the encompassing solitude, Nature can be.
Nature's very power
Move on from the Ninety Mile Beach to Cape Reinga in the north and view the Columbia Bank maelstrom -- where the Tasman and the Pacific meet -- with waves, in stormy weather, rising to peaks of up to 10 metres.
Feel the wind in your face. Hear the roar of the sea. Know in your bones the very power of Nature.
Drive, bike, walk
You can drive, motorbike or walk through Ninety Mile Beach, which is also known as the "Long Beach of Tohe."
Take your time, fish, walk on the sand, go blokarting (which uses a lightweight micro land sailer called a blokart), explore the forests. Or take a bus tour.
Next page: Flanked by Forest and Sea
- Photo courtesy of Destination Northland © Destination Northland
