Karekare Information

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In 1993, Jane Campion’s Oscar Winning The Piano made Karekare an international star, with everyone talking about the beautiful black-sand beach.

Karekare beach is located on Auckland's west coast between Piha in the north and Whatipu in the south. It is a 50 minute drive from downtown Auckland and a 20 minute drive from the Arataki Visitor Centre.

One of Auckland's most spectacular beaches and wilderness areas, and part of the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, Karekare offers excellent surf, walking and picnicking. Swimmers are advised to only swim between the flags.

Karekare waterfall, known by the Kawerau people as ‘Te Ahoaho' or ‘pendulous white thread', is nestled a short walk from the main beach arrival area.

Karekare has attracted some of New Zealand’s finest painters: Albrecht, Binney, Blomfield, Buchanan and Siddell. Writers like Curnow and Stead have written about it, filmmakers like Jane Campion (The Piano), Barry Barclay and Niki Caro (Memory and Desire) have set major films there. The landscape is both magical and powerful, a magnet for photographers.

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Karekare Information

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