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Similar Bay of Islands, Tāne Mahuta, Hot Water Beach, Haruru Falls, Te Whanganui‑A‑Hei (Cathedr | ||
Ninety Mile Beach (official name Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē/Ninety Mile Beach) is on the western coast of the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. It stretches from just west of Kaitaia towards Cape Reinga along the Aupouri Peninsula. It begins close to the headland of Reef Point, to the west of Ahipara Bay, sweeping briefly northeast before turning northwest for the majority of its length. It ends at Scott Point, 5 kilometres (3 mi) south of Cape Maria van Diemen. The beach is actually just 88 kilometers (55 miles) long. In the days of sailing ships a number of vessels were wrecked on this beach.
Map of Ninety Mile Beach, 0484, New Zealand
The beach and its northern dunes are a tourist destination. The dunes, looking much like a desert landscape, are often used for bodyboarding.
In 1932 the beach was used as the runway for some of the earliest airmail services between Australia and New Zealand. It is officially a public highway and sometimes used as an alternative road to State Highway 1 north of Kaitaia, though mainly for tourist reasons, or when the main road is closed due to landslides or floods.
In a 2013 feature for TV show Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson drove the length of the beach in a Toyota Corolla as part of a race against an AC45 racing yacht with a crew that included James May.