Whangapoua Beach is on the east coast of

Great Barrier Island Great Barrier Island ( mi, Aotea) lies in the outer Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, north-east of central Auckland. With an area of it is the sixth-largest island of New Zealand and fourth-largest in the main chain. Its highest point, Mount Hobson ...

in New Zealand's

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,Rakitu Island Rakitu Island, also known as Arid Island, is an uninhabited island off the northeast coast of Great Barrier Island in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. The island lies about off Whangapoua Beach, sheltering the bay of Whangapoua Creek. Descri ...

. The Whangapoua Creek drains large estuarine wetlands and enters the sea at the southern end of the beach. A

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

camping ground is on the southern side of the estuary, adjacent to

Okiwi Airfield Okiwi Airfield , also called Okiwi Station Airfield, is a small airfield located near the village of Okiwi on Great Barrier Island, New Zealand. It has a single bitumen runway, and a small terminal in the form of a wooden hut. The airfield is ow ...

. It is staffed between

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

and

Auckland Anniversary Day Auckland Anniversary Day is a public holiday observed in the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand, being the area's provincial anniversary day. It is observed throughout the historic Auckland Province, even though the provinces of New ...

every year. Dogs are banned from the campsite, and there are no rubbish or recycling facilities. There is access to the northern part of the beach from Mabey Road. The beach is a surfing spot with a bar break at the mouth of the creek and beach breaks along the length of the beach. The bar break is accessed by walking across the estuary flats from the camping ground. The nearest settlement is the small locality of

Ōkiwi Ōkiwi is a small settlement and rural community at the head of the Whangapoua Estuary, in Whangapoua Bay, on Great Barrier Island in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf. Facilities include Okiwi School, one of three schools on the island, all primary sc ...

, to the west, at the head of the estuary. The Harataonga Coastal Walkway starts one kilometre south-east of the airfield and runs south-east through regenerating native forest to

Harataonga Bay Harataonga Bay is a coastal feature and area on the northeast coast of Great Barrier Island in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf, approximately 51 nautical miles northeast of central Auckland. Most of the area is in the Harataonga Recreation Reserve, wit ...

, taking 4–5 hours to walk.

History

Ngātiwai have traditionally lived in the area. The

SS Wairarapa SS ''Wairarapa'' was a New Zealand ship of the late 19th century plying the route between Auckland, New Zealand and Australia. It came to tragic fame when it hit a reef at the northern edge of Great Barrier Island, about 100 km out from Auc ...

ran aground at Miners Head on 24 October 1894. Survivors who reached land were cared for by Ngātiwai. Many of those who drowned were buried at a grave site at Tapuwai Point at the northern end of Whangapoua Beach, and can be reached by the Wairairapa Graves Walkway.

References

{{Hauraki Gulf Great Barrier Island Beaches of the Auckland Region