Piha is a coastal settlement in West Auckland, on the western coast of the

Auckland Region Auckland () is one of the sixteen regions of New Zealand, which takes its name from the eponymous urban area. The region encompasses the Auckland Metropolitan Area, smaller towns, rural areas, and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. Containing ...

in New Zealand. It is one of the most popular beaches in the area and a major day-trip destination for Aucklanders throughout the year, and especially in summer. Piha is 39 kilometres west of

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

city centre, on the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea (Māori: ''Te Tai-o-Rēhua'', ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abe ...

coast to the north of the

Manukau Harbour The Manukau Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in New Zealand by area. It is located to the southwest of the Auckland isthmus, and opens out into the Tasman Sea. Geography The harbour mouth is between the northern head ("Burne ...

, on the western edge of the

Waitākere Ranges The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some of public and private land. The area, traditionally kno ...

. Immediately to the north of Piha is Whites Beach, and immediately to the south is Mercer Bay; land access to both is only by foot. The nearest beaches accessible by road are Karekare to the south, and

Anawhata Anawhata is a beach on the coast of New Zealand west of Auckland. Geography Anawhata Beach is located along the West Coast of West Auckland, between the Tasman Sea and the Waitākere Ranges. It is located south of Te Henga / Bethells Beach, ...

to the north.

History

The area is traditionally a part of

rohe The Māori people of New Zealand use the word ''rohe'' to describe the territory or boundaries of ''iwi'' (tribes), although some divide their rohe into several ''takiwā''. The areas shown on the map (right) are indicative only, and some iwi ...

of the

Tāmaki Māori Tāmaki Māori are Māori ''iwi'' and ''hapū'' (tribes and sub-tribes) who have a strong connection to Tāmaki Makaurau (the Auckland Region), and whose rohe was traditionally within the region. Among Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau (the M ...

tribe

Te Kawerau ā Maki Te Kawerau ā Maki, Te Kawerau a Maki, or Te Kawerau-a-Maki is a Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It had 251 registered adult members as of June 2017. Auckland Council gave it land for a marae at Te Henga (Bethells Be ...

. The area is named for Te Piha, the traditional name of

Lion Rock Lion Rock, or less formally Lion Rock Hill, is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin District, between Kowloon Tong of Kowloon and Tai Wai of the New Territories, and is high. The peak consists of granite covered sparsely by shr ...

which was later applied to the wider area, and refers to the pattern made when waves hit against the rock. The area was the location of many pā and villages, including a headland at Te Waha Point north of the beach, where many karaka trees associated with the former pā grow, and Lion Rock, which was the location of Whakaari pā. Archaeological surveys have shown the remains of platforms,

midden A midden (also kitchen midden or shell heap) is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofact ...

and terraces on Lion Rock, as well as fragments of traditional textiles, dating back to a time before European contact. The earthworks of Whakaari pā are not well preserved due to erosion. Mercer Bay to the south was traditionally known by the name Te Unuhanga o Rangitoto, and was named for Andrew Mercer, Auckland slater who received

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

grant in June 1866. The location is featured in the Te Kawerau ā Maki legend of early ancestor Tiriwa, who formed the bay by moving

Rangitoto Island Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. The wide island is a symmetrical shield volcano cone, reaching a height of . Rangitoto is the youngest and largest of the approximately 50 volcanoes of the Au ...

from the West coast to the

Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2, At the turn of the 20th century, holidaymakers would travel by coach from Glen Eden, New Zealand, Glen Eden to stay at guest houses in Piha. In February 1939, two Australian visitors to Auckland, G R Mackey and J A Talbot, committed arson at a Piha batch. The fire was lit as a part of an insurance scam, and a body of a recently buried soldier was taken from

Waikumete Cemetery Waikumete Cemetery, originally Waikomiti Cemetery, is New Zealand's largest cemetery. It occupies a site of 108 hectares in Glen Eden, Auckland, and also contains a crematorium in the south-west corner of the cemetery. History Waikumete Cemetery ...

and placed inside the batch.

Demographics

Piha covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Piha had a population of 984 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, an increase of 126 people (14.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 162 people (19.7%) since the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

. There were 396 households, comprising 498 males and 486 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.02 males per female. The median age was 43.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 189 people (19.2%) aged under 15 years, 108 (11.0%) aged 15 to 29, 561 (57.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 129 (13.1%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 94.8% European/

Pākehā Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non-Māori New Ze ...

, 13.4%

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

, 3.4% Pacific peoples, 3.0%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 2.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 19.2, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 66.8% had no religion, 18.9% were

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, 0.3% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.3% were

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

, 0.6% were

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

and 4.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 279 (35.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 48 (6.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $42,700, compared with $31,800 nationally. 198 people (24.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 429 (54.0%) people were employed full-time, 129 (16.2%) were part-time, and 21 (2.6%) were unemployed.

Features and geology

As well as two surf beaches there are also a sheltered lagoon and several streams in the area. The coastline and forested Waitākere Ranges offer a number of walks, or tramps, ranging from easy to very difficult. Due to the spread of the incurable

kauri dieback Kauri dieback is a forest dieback disease of the native kauri trees (''Agathis australis'') of New Zealand that is suspected to be caused by the oomycete ''Phytophthora agathidicida.'' Symptoms can include root rot and associated rot in a col ...

disease large parts of the Waitākere Ranges were closed from 2018 until further notice. Piha is a well known black sand beach, due to the high iron content, which originated from

Mount Taranaki Mount Taranaki (), also known as Mount Egmont, is a dormant stratovolcano in the Taranaki region on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is the second highest point in the North Island, after Mount Ruapehu. The mountain has a seco ...

and earlier volcanoes in the area.

is a natural formation dividing North and South Piha beaches. It is an eroded 16-million-year-old

volcanic neck A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...

, named for its similarity to a lying male lion when viewed from the rear (shore side), Lion Rock is immediately visible to visitors as they descend along the only access road. Lion Rock has become iconic not only of Piha, but of Auckland's West Coast in general. Lion Rock was featured on stamps as well as an Auckland phone book, and in December 1919 a memorial to local sawmillers who served in World War One was unveiled on Lion Rock. Kitekite from track

About 2 km inland, on the Glen Esk stream, are the Kitekite Falls which while not very large are picturesque. Swimming is possible all seasons (though only for the cold hardened outside of summer) in a pool just above the falls. At the bottom of the falls is a sheltered picnic area popular with families in the summer time. There is another pool between the top falls and the bottom falls, but is closed due to Kauri dieback. About 2 km inland, on the Piha stream, is a small canyon. About 1 km south of the South Beach is 'The Gap', which at low tide provides another lagoon and a blowhole.

Surfing

Piha was the birthplace of New Zealand board riding in 1958, and has been the scene of both New Zealand national and international surfing championship competitions.

Surf lifesaving

Two

surf lifesaving Surf lifesaving is a multifaceted social movement that comprises key aspects of voluntary lifeguard services and competitive surf sport. Originating in early 20th century Australia, the movement has expanded globally to other countries, inc ...

clubs provide surf patrols in summer.

Piha Surf Life Saving Club Piha Surf Life Saving Club (sometimes called Piha Lifeguard Service) is a surf lifesaving club for the southern section of Piha, on the west coast of Auckland, New Zealand, some 45 km from the Auckland City centre. The patrol was featured i ...

, the home of the TV series ''

Piha Rescue ''Piha Rescue'' is a New Zealand reality series following the daily actions of the Piha Surf Life Saving Club lifeguards on the famous Piha surf beach. Piha is one of the many beaches located on the West Coast near Auckland. ''Piha Rescue ...

'', patrols the section of the beach to the south of Lion Rock. United North Piha Lifeguard Service is responsible for the section of the beach north of Lion Rock. Both clubs provide patrolled areas designated by red and yellow flags as is the custom with Surf Lifesaving in New Zealand and many other countries.

Safety information

The

rip currents A rip current, often simply called a rip (or misleadingly a '' rip tide''), is a specific kind of water current that can occur near beaches with breaking waves. A rip is a strong, localized, and narrow current of water which moves directly away ...

along this section of coast are very unpredictable and can shift with little warning. They claim many lives despite the efforts of surf life-savers. Most of these drownings, however, occur after lifeguards are off duty or after rock fisherman wearing heavy clothing are washed off rocks, out of sight of the lifeguards. Lifeguards advise swimming between the red and yellow flags, during patrol hours. After the death of two men at Piha in February 2013, lifeguards say the water fools swimmers by appearing deceptively calm, obscuring strong rips, and people should stay out of the water if they aren't confident swimmers. Since 1996, six people have disappeared from or in the area of Piha with no trace, with one of the more publicised cases being

Iraena Asher Iraena Te Rama Awhina Asher (born 17 July 1979) was an Auckland trainee teacher and model who disappeared under controversial circumstances at Piha, a West Auckland beach, on 11 October, 2004. Disappearance Asher apparently spent time at a new ...

and the most recent being French teenager Eloi Rolland. No trace has been left by any of these people, and none of them have been found.

''Piha Rescue''

Piha Beach was the setting for a popular New Zealand

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

show. Aptly named ''

'', it ran for 12 series over 14 years on TV1 and it featured the lives of the surf life savers at Piha Beach and educated the public on the beach safety, rip currents and swimming between the flags.

Photo gallery

Image:Piha3.jpg, North to Lion rock and Te Waha Point File:Toetoe plumes and Lion Rock.JPG, Toetoe plumes and Lion Rock File:Piha 17-09-2015 13-47-55.jpg, Aerial view of Piha Beach and Lion Rock

References

External links

Piha.co.nz - News, History, Environment and Information

Photographs of Piha
held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections. * Photographs of buses to Piha
1940s
{{Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area Beaches of the Auckland Region Surfing locations in New Zealand Tourist attractions in the Auckland Region Waitākere Ranges Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area Populated places in the Auckland Region Black sand beaches