90 Mile Beach

I think the longest lie in I've had since landing in New Zealand was 6.00am. Today was a 5.00am rise as we drove towards the most northerly point in the north island. We left Paihia at 6.30am and passed through Waitangi, Haruru fallsWaipapa, Whangaroa Harbour, Doubtless bay and into the ancient Kauri kingdom alongside the Tasman Sea.

The name Ninety Mile Beach is a misnomer because it is actually 55 miles (88 km) long. Several theories have been advanced for the name, the most common stemming from the days when missionaries travelled on horse back when on average a horse could travel 30 miles (50 km) in a day before needing to be rested. The beach took three days to travel therefore earning its name, but the missionaries did not take into account the slower pace of the horses walking in the sand, thus thinking they had travelled 90 miles (140 km) when in fact they had only travelled 55. The beach may be given a more traditional Māori name due to a Treaty of Waitangi claim.

The beach, and specifically its northern dunes, is a famous tourist destination. The dunes, looking very much like a desert landscape, are an unexpected sight for travellers, especially if arriving from the landward side. They are often used for bodyboarding (next post)!

In 1932, Ninety Mile Beach was used as the runway for some of the earliest airmail services between Australia and New Zealand. It is still used as an alternative road to State Highway 1 north of Kaitaia, though mainly for tourist reasons, or when the main road is closed due to landslides or floods. It of course reminded of 75 mile beach on Fraser Island in Oz. The key difference of course was the vegetation beside the beach.