MOUNTAINS, BEACHES AND WHITE SAND
03 SEPTEMBER 2022
A surfer tries his luck on the tiny waves at Ruakaka that day
A Piece Of New Zealand's Coast That You'll Always Remember
Ruakaka Beach is a stretch of white sand and blue water in Bream Bay, Northland. The beach starts at the mouth of the Ruakaka River and merges into Uretiti Beach, further south but on a whole, it's part of a 22km stretch of beach starting at Marsden Point (just around the corner from Marsden Bay Beach) all the way down to Waipu Cove (which is equally amazing!). It's one of our favourite spots near Whangarei, which we visited a lot when we were staying in One Tree Point.
There is virtually no shells or seaweed at all on the beach, which makes the white sand look so pristine and the beach stretches as far as the eye can see.
The beach offers extensive views of the Whangarei heads where we climbed Mt Manaia (which we totally recommend climbing!) and did the Smuggler's Bay Loop Track (again, this is a must do to experience crystal clear water, incredible views and you may even get to play with an octopus!)
The Ruakaka area itself is a small, relaxed town that is close to the Marsden Point Oil Refinery (well, it's a log storage facility now) and there are quite a few holiday homes here, which is perfect for renting out over summer.
In the cooler months, the beach is pretty empty, we only ever saw a few people on the beach each time we went which was so nice as in summer it gets absolutely packed! The beach is patrolled by lifeguards in the summer and is full of swimmers, kayakers and windsurfers. You can check out the Ruakaka Surf Club camera here.
There is virtually no shells or seaweed at all on the beach, which makes the white sand look so pristine and the beach stretches as far as the eye can see.
The beach offers extensive views of the Whangarei heads where we climbed Mt Manaia (which we totally recommend climbing!) and did the Smuggler's Bay Loop Track (again, this is a must do to experience crystal clear water, incredible views and you may even get to play with an octopus!)
The Ruakaka area itself is a small, relaxed town that is close to the Marsden Point Oil Refinery (well, it's a log storage facility now) and there are quite a few holiday homes here, which is perfect for renting out over summer.
In the cooler months, the beach is pretty empty, we only ever saw a few people on the beach each time we went which was so nice as in summer it gets absolutely packed! The beach is patrolled by lifeguards in the summer and is full of swimmers, kayakers and windsurfers. You can check out the Ruakaka Surf Club camera here.
The entry to Ruakaka Beach
The path down to the beach is first a board walk then a sandy path
The dunes are home to all sorts of wildlife
Views That Stretch As Far As The Eyes Can See
The walk from the carpark to the beach takes less than a minute as you go up a couple of stairs then walk along a boardwalk. If you haven't been to Ruakaka Beach before, you will be completely wowed by the view as the boardwalk takes you up and over the dunes and onto a viewing platform which has a bench seat to relax on. It's really nice to have a high viewpoint before heading down onto the beach.
Every time we visited, the kids and dogs knew exactly where to go - straight to the sand! There was always so much space for the kids to play and build sandcastles. Bella is really creative and likes to make sandcastles that have loads of decorations, which proved difficult at Ruakaka Beach because there wasn't much on the beach to use but Bella is super creative and always found some way of beautifying it.
Every time we visited, the kids and dogs knew exactly where to go - straight to the sand! There was always so much space for the kids to play and build sandcastles. Bella is really creative and likes to make sandcastles that have loads of decorations, which proved difficult at Ruakaka Beach because there wasn't much on the beach to use but Bella is super creative and always found some way of beautifying it.
Leaving love where others can enjoy
There are random logs and driftwood on the beach, making the perfect stool to rest on
Sienna showing us her shells
Two Parrots
There is an ancient Māori legend that tells of the moment a great chief was born. Two parrots flew in opposite directions out of a bush near the great chief and where they landed, is where the boundaries of Ruakaka were placed.
Rua = Two
Kaka = Parrots
Rua = Two
Kaka = Parrots
Beautiful Jaxxy Boo who we looked after while house sitting in One Tree Point
The Good Things Going On At Ruakaka Beach
Ruakaka Beach has a wildlife refuge near the Ruakaka River mouth and this is a no-go zone for dogs. The reserve is home to variable oystercatchers, eastern bar-tailed godwits, the NZ dotterel and wrybill, to name a few. There has been 45 different species of wildlife recorded here. Help to protect these beauties by keeping away all pets and leave them be by keeping a good distance so they can do their thang as the beach is their home, where they nest and forage for good. There
Fun Facts:
The wrybill is the only bird in the world that has a sideways turning bill!
The bar-tailed godwits are record holders when it comes to long flights - they fly NON-STOP to New Zealand from Alaska! They manage to do 11,000kms in 8 days - wow!
The NZ dotterel is the largest dotterel in the world (it's still small lol)
Another great project at the beach, is the Ruakaka Beach Community Coast Care Project which is playing an important role in reducing erosion and helping recovery after storms. Healthy dunes are vital to protect the land and buildings from storms and tsunami as well as creating homes for insects, lizards, birds and plants.
Fun Facts:
The wrybill is the only bird in the world that has a sideways turning bill!
The bar-tailed godwits are record holders when it comes to long flights - they fly NON-STOP to New Zealand from Alaska! They manage to do 11,000kms in 8 days - wow!
The NZ dotterel is the largest dotterel in the world (it's still small lol)
Another great project at the beach, is the Ruakaka Beach Community Coast Care Project which is playing an important role in reducing erosion and helping recovery after storms. Healthy dunes are vital to protect the land and buildings from storms and tsunami as well as creating homes for insects, lizards, birds and plants.
The stormy weather gives the beach charm
We stayed at the beach as long as we dared!
The contrast is so pretty... until you get soaked.
Frenchy's Kitchen and Bach Cafe
There is a really nice cafe beside the beach carpark that offers good coffee and delicious treats. We love trying coffee when we stay in new places, so we know where to get our coffee fix from.
There's seating inside and outside here and is even dog friendly, going as far as to have water our for our thirsty, furry friends.
Alternatively, there's a cute little caravan called Frenchy's Kitchen on the corner of Ruakaka Beach Road and Camellia Road, as you head towards Ruakaka Beach. She has great coffee, delicious French treats and even a mint Lindt hot chocolate which the girls had once and LOVED, mmm.
There's seating inside and outside here and is even dog friendly, going as far as to have water our for our thirsty, furry friends.
Alternatively, there's a cute little caravan called Frenchy's Kitchen on the corner of Ruakaka Beach Road and Camellia Road, as you head towards Ruakaka Beach. She has great coffee, delicious French treats and even a mint Lindt hot chocolate which the girls had once and LOVED, mmm.
Good coffee from Bach Cafe
Carrot cake with a blob of cream almost the same size as the cake!
Lemon meringue pie and chocolate from Frenchy's Kitchen
Making Time For Play
Most beaches around New Zealand have playgrounds near them but this one is a little bit further away from the beach on Peter Snell Road behind the Ruakaka Shops. It's a 5-minute drive from the beach and sits on a huge sports field (not dog friendly and no playing golf) and there's even a skate park next to it, just above the carpark.
We went mainly in the week and the girls always had it to themselves and they really enjoyed playing chase on the playground and had a lot of fun on the tyre spiny thingy (seriously, that's the name?).
We went mainly in the week and the girls always had it to themselves and they really enjoyed playing chase on the playground and had a lot of fun on the tyre spiny thingy (seriously, that's the name?).
Sienna testing everything out on the playground
We thought this playground had some funky colours
This was the ride of the day
Know Before You Go
- There are no rubbish bins here (as with most beaches in Northland), so take a bag for your rubbish and please take it home with you
- There are toilets at the beach carpark
- The beach is patrolled in summer - look out for the flags to swim between
- Keep off the sand dunes (especially the roped areas)
- Take care not to disturb any birds
- There is plenty of parking at the beach carpark
- The playground is located about 5 minutes drive away, behind the Ruakaka shops
- The path to the beach isn't suitable for prams
Mappy McMap Face
Getting There
Ruakaka Beach is just a short 25 minute drive from Whangarei CBD and just under 2 hours if you are heading up from Auckland CBD. Either which way you come, Ruakaka Beach is just a few minutes once you turn off State Highway 1 into Marsden Point Road. From there you want to take the first right into Ruakaka Beach Road, and sit tight on that road for a few short minutes and you will be there in no time.
ENJOY!
ENJOY!
Conclusion
If the photos don't say enough, we don't know what will. Ruakaka Beach is without a doubt one of our top 10 beaches that we have been to and every time we go there, it never gets old. It's a clean and tidy beach, no bins, no mess, just pure enjoyment. We love it and we are pretty sure you will love it too!
Gallery of Ruakaka 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 Whangarei
MT MANAIA TRACK
NORTHLAND Your blood will be pumping after climbing 1000 stairs to reach the summit. You will be rewarded with incredible views over the heads. |
ONE TREE POINT BEACH
NORTHLAND A crystal-clear beach 30 mins south of Whangarei with beautiful views across to Whangarei Heads. |
WHANGAREI QUARRY GARDENS
NORTHLAND A subtropical garden set in an old quarry which has been planted by volunteers. Escape to the tropics with this magical place.
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