A PLACE TO EXPLORE AND DISCOVER
12 OCTOBER 2022
Man O' War
We Love A NZ West Coast Beach
We're big fans of New Zealand's west coast beaches so we were stoked to have the opportunity to explore Opunake Beach.
Along the west coast of South Taranaki, Opunake beach stretches for a looooooong way and there are so many roads that lead down to it. We didn't end up going to the main entrance in Opunake town, instead we went down the Lower Kina Road entrance. It was a quiet road and there were only ever a couple of people there once, most probably soaking in the view on their lunch break.
The beach is not a nice beach for swimming at - it's rough, windy and you'll probably end up breaking your ankles and legs with all the rocks in there, but it's one of THE BEST beaches we have been to for exploring! Driftwood, coloured stones, seals and plenty of ladybugs await you.
Along the west coast of South Taranaki, Opunake beach stretches for a looooooong way and there are so many roads that lead down to it. We didn't end up going to the main entrance in Opunake town, instead we went down the Lower Kina Road entrance. It was a quiet road and there were only ever a couple of people there once, most probably soaking in the view on their lunch break.
The beach is not a nice beach for swimming at - it's rough, windy and you'll probably end up breaking your ankles and legs with all the rocks in there, but it's one of THE BEST beaches we have been to for exploring! Driftwood, coloured stones, seals and plenty of ladybugs await you.
Entrance to the beach
Love a good stormy day!
The beach is really diverse which is the best for exploring
The beach isn't idea for swimming! Too rough and rocky
Time Flies When You're Having Fun
I'm not sure how long we spent exploring each time, it seemed like the 'let's just be about half an hour then head home for lunch' melted into hours because there was so much to explore each time. The ocean threw up new stuff every tide shift and it seemed like a new tree or huge stump was washed up on shore every day (seriously, where do they come from?!).
The girls found some beautiful paua shells amongst the stones and driftwood (not as big as the ones we found in Wellington on the South Coast Walk) and Bella found a couple of really pretty coloured rocks (she is OBSESSED with coloured rocks and gemstones!). They really enjoyed the beach as much as we did and even though most of the time it was overcast, it was a warm wind so it was perfect.
The girls found some beautiful paua shells amongst the stones and driftwood (not as big as the ones we found in Wellington on the South Coast Walk) and Bella found a couple of really pretty coloured rocks (she is OBSESSED with coloured rocks and gemstones!). They really enjoyed the beach as much as we did and even though most of the time it was overcast, it was a warm wind so it was perfect.
There are plenty of beautiful paua shells to find
Nature's art
This was some type of sea sponge or coral
If there's a cool shell to be found, Bella will find it
Nature's Art Exhibition
Each log, tree and stump on the beach had holes and gaps filled with pebbles which was seriously like an art exhibition! They were all down the beach and it really was cool to see them.
You'll find these all down the beach
The high tide pushes the rocks into the gaps
Even the smallest holes in the wood get little pebbles in them
Just another beach a?
Vivid Green Rocks
Most of the rocks on the beach were plain, but the odd few really stood out to us with extremely vivid green algae covering them. It reminded us of the Wairere Boulders in Northland and the goblin forest at Dawson Falls up Mt Egmont in Taranaki.
Surprisingly the rocks weren't slippery, which meant we could walk out as far as we wanted towards the incoming tide. We were hoping to see some seals but it was the wrong time of the year to see a whole bunch of them - luckily we got the chance to see some at the Maunganui Bluff in Northland, the South Coast Walk in Wellington and once we hopped off the steam train in Oamaru!
Surprisingly the rocks weren't slippery, which meant we could walk out as far as we wanted towards the incoming tide. We were hoping to see some seals but it was the wrong time of the year to see a whole bunch of them - luckily we got the chance to see some at the Maunganui Bluff in Northland, the South Coast Walk in Wellington and once we hopped off the steam train in Oamaru!
The vivid rocks were a nice contrast against the beach
West coast beaches in New Zealand are rough, rugged and full of beauty
This one looks like it would be really comfy to lay on
If it's got a pattern, I'm photographing it!
Mythical Creatures
What is it about seeing animals in shapes, clouds, food etc? Well, now we see them in driftwood! Granted, most look like mythical creatures from swampy lagoons where you would NOT want to swim in, while others look like something you'd find in the pits of hell.
Opunake Beach has the most amazing driftwood, stripped bare by the rough west coast waves and all in their own unique shapes. It's incredible that the waves are powerful enough to wash entire trees up onto the banks which are actually really steep! They get dumped at the high tide line and are mesmerising to look at and if you're lucky enough to come across a whole tree then you have yourself a playground!
The girls loved finding random driftwood, figuring out what creature it looked like and climbing, sitting on and swinging off whatever would hold them. This place is a playground for kids, big and small (a.k.a any age, here's looking at you, grandpa).
Sadly, there was a lot of rubbish washed up amongst the driftwood. We found shoes, gumboots, plastic bottles and so much random stuff we have no idea what it was. We collected as much as we could and took it home to put in the bin and were surprised when so much new stuff was there the next time.
Opunake Beach has the most amazing driftwood, stripped bare by the rough west coast waves and all in their own unique shapes. It's incredible that the waves are powerful enough to wash entire trees up onto the banks which are actually really steep! They get dumped at the high tide line and are mesmerising to look at and if you're lucky enough to come across a whole tree then you have yourself a playground!
The girls loved finding random driftwood, figuring out what creature it looked like and climbing, sitting on and swinging off whatever would hold them. This place is a playground for kids, big and small (a.k.a any age, here's looking at you, grandpa).
Sadly, there was a lot of rubbish washed up amongst the driftwood. We found shoes, gumboots, plastic bottles and so much random stuff we have no idea what it was. We collected as much as we could and took it home to put in the bin and were surprised when so much new stuff was there the next time.
The beach had some HUGE pieces of driftwood washed up!
Can you see the dragon's head?
What creature can you see here?
If you're into art, you'll find loads of cool driftwood pieces here to collect
Wees And Poos
We explored all up and down the beach as far as we could go. To the left of the entrance about 20 metres away there's a river that runs off into the ocean, so we weren't able to get over that but we spent a lot of time sitting by it and throwing stones and sticks into it. It was good to get away from it in the end as it was a questionable colour and had a funky smell!! Me thinks the farmers are letting their cows pee and poo in that river! Heading to the right of the entrance is the best way to go and there is another small run off river a few hundred metres up the beach but you can get past this one easier.
Sienna loves sliding down sand dunes
The girls had a lot of fun exploring this beach
It was a windy day, but it was a warm wind
There was some serious spray going on that day!
Man O' War
On one of our visits, we were searching for treasures amongst the stones and we found a bunch of Blue Bottle jellyfish (they aren't actually jellyfish but we'll get to that in a minute) that had washed up and died. They were the most incredible colours, it was hard to believe! Some were an incredible blue colour and others were almost clear. We poked them with a stick (as you do) and it was pretty incredible they didn't pop, they were like balloons but their skin (skin? what is it?) felt so thin!
About the blue bottles, also known as the Portuguese Man O' War, not actually being jellyfish, it's actually a siphonophore... yeah I have no idea what that means either but it's an interesting fact.
And if you do happen to get stung by one of these bad boys, don't be pouring any vinegar on your stings as it will make it a lot worse, use water as hot as you can handle. But seriously, who even has a bottle of vinegar laying around at the beach?
About the blue bottles, also known as the Portuguese Man O' War, not actually being jellyfish, it's actually a siphonophore... yeah I have no idea what that means either but it's an interesting fact.
And if you do happen to get stung by one of these bad boys, don't be pouring any vinegar on your stings as it will make it a lot worse, use water as hot as you can handle. But seriously, who even has a bottle of vinegar laying around at the beach?
I loved the iridescence on it
Incredible blue bottled jellyfish
Know Before You Go
- Wear sneakers as it's easy to roll your ankle with poorly tied up shoes or jandals
- Keep an eye out for seals (and keep your distance if you spot any)
- This beach doesn't seem very safe for swimming (but that's an individual choice)
- Perfect spot for photographers here on a stormy day or sunset
- Bring a bag to fill with any rubbish you find. There are no bins here so you will have to dispose of the rubbish at home
- There are toilets at the entrance - the old water tank
Mappy McMap Face
Getting There
Opunake Beach is in southwest Taranaki and there are multiple roads heading down to the beach, just follow the surf beach signs! The best place for swimming is at the entrance in Opunake town centre.
This particular spot was down Lower Kina Road and there is parking, it's just not marked. A pick a spot and park, kinda deal. Just avoid parking on the black sand if you don't have a 4WD!
This particular spot was down Lower Kina Road and there is parking, it's just not marked. A pick a spot and park, kinda deal. Just avoid parking on the black sand if you don't have a 4WD!
Conclusion
Opunake Beach is a place to explore and discover. This particular stretch of the beach isn't ideal for swimming in, but it has the best driftwood and treasures to be found! Even on a completely overcast and stormy looking day, it was still a beautiful beach and it played into the rugged west coast beach we know and love in New Zealand.
Gallery of Opunake Beach
Check out the rest of the awesomeness that didn't make it to the main blog but deserves to be shown.
More to do in the North Island
DAWSON FALLS
TARANAKI
A beautiful waterfall set amongst an enchanted goblin forest up Mt Egmont and it's only a 2-minute walk from the carpark! |
SMUGGLERS BAY LOOP TRACK
NORTHLAND If you want to go to paradise, this is the place! Emerald water, clear rock pools and octopus encounters await you.
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SOUTH COAST WALK
WELLINGTON A beautiful 3 hour walk along the rugged west coast of Wellington where you can see the famous red rocks and hopefully some seals. |
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