Best Northern Beaches

The North Island’s top beaches are named by The Sydney Morning Herald’s Bruce Elder, who writes that those suggested are so good that no trip to New Zealand would be complete without visiting them. Elder includes: Karekare Beach, west of Auckland, famous as the location for the film The Piano and a “dark, dangerous and passionate” beach “not to be missed”; Waiheke Island’s Onetangi Beach, which has a 2km-long white sand beach lined with small chic villages and good cafes; the “particularly impressive” Opunake Beach which is recognised by surfers as one of the North Island’s top surfing destinations; and Whangamata Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula “a rare mix of rainforest and pristine white sands”.