Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhē / Ninety Mile Beach | |
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Coordinates: 34°43′S 172°56′E / 34.717°S 172.933°E | |
Location | Northland Region |
Offshore water bodies | Tasman Sea |
Dimensions | |
• Length | 88 kilometres (55 mi) |
Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhē / Ninety Mile Beach[1] is on the western coast of the far north of the North Island of New Zealand.[2] The beach is actually 88 kilometres (55 miles) long.[3] Its southern end is close to the headland of Tauroa Point, to the west of Ahipara Bay, near Kaitaia. From there it sweeps briefly northeast before running northwest along the Aupōuri Peninsula for the majority of its length. It ends at Tiriparepa / Scott Point, 5 kilometres (3 mi) south of Cape Maria van Diemen and about 10 kilometres (6 mi) south of Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua.
The beach is officially a public highway[4] and is used as an alternative to State Highway 1 north of Kaitaia, though mainly for tourist trips, or when the main road is closed due to landslides or floods.[citation needed] The beach and the dunes at Te Paki in the north are a tourist destination. The Te Paki dunes, which look much like a desert landscape, are used for sandboarding.