Ninety Mile Beach, New Zealand

The Ninety Mile Beach is a beach on the west coast in the far north (Far North District ) of the North Island of New Zealand.

It extends from Kaitaia to Cape Reinga along the Aupouri Peninsula. He begins in the south at Reef Point, west of Ahipara Bay, short runs in a northeasterly direction, but after that for the longest part of the northwest. It ends at Scott Point, five kilometers south of Cape Maria van Diemen. In the northern half of the beach are offshore of two small islands Matapia Iceland and Te Wakatehaua Iceland.

The name Ninety Mile Beach is a misnomer - it really is only 88 km (55 miles) long. The reason for its name is unknown, there are several theories for it here.

Traffic

In 1932, the Ninety Mile Beach was used as a landing strip one of the first airmail services between Australia and New Zealand. Even today, can be used the Ninety Mile Beach by car as an alternative to official road north of Kaitaia, but this is only recommended with all wheel drive. The beach is actually officially a part of the trunk road network and it is a speed limit of 100 km / h The use by vehicles is, however, expressly at your own risk. On the roads, a warning sign is erected, which points to the risks. Again and again, careless and reckless drivers remain in the loose sand or stuck in the water. Often end these " glitches " with the loss of the car at the flood, as the Ninety Mile Beach is not a towing service to help. There are also tours by minibus on the beach offered.

Since 1993, the Ninety Mile Beach is also the venue of a finished exclusively on the beach marathon and ultramarathon, the Te Houtaewa Challenge.