Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē / Ninety Mile Beach

Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē is a long sandy shoreline on the western coast of the North Island, extending 88 kilometers from Ahipara Bay to Scott Point. The shore forms an open coastal stretch with fine sand and dunes that face directly toward the Tasman Sea.

The shoreline served as a runway for early airmail services between Australia and New Zealand in 1932. This use marked an important step in the development of flight routes across the South Pacific.

The name Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē honors an ancestral figure of Ngāti Kurī, reflecting the deep connection between Māori people and this coastal area. Visitors can sense this significance through the way local communities care for and respect the shoreline.

Visitors can drive vehicles on the shore, which serves as an alternative public road to State Highway 1, while considering tide conditions and local rules. The sand becomes softer and less stable during high tide, so planning trips for shortly after low tide is advisable.

The Te Paki sand dunes in the northern section form a desert-like landscape where people go sandboarding. The dunes rise steeply above the shore and create an unusual backdrop in this otherwise green region.