Muriwai Beach
and Regional Park
Horse Riding at Muriwai Beach and Regional Park
Muriwai Beach, Te Oneone Rangitira, is a spectacular stretch of coastline running from Muriwai township in the south all the way to South Head and the Kaipara Harbour in the north.
The Regional Park includes a strip of land behind the dunes called the Five Mile Block, and a dedicated parking area for horse vehicles on Coast Rd, near Muriwai village at the southern end of the beach.
The Five Mile Block horse riding area consists of the trails (there are basically two with joining minor trails) behind the dunes to Coast Rd on the inland side (the very first road running parallel to the dunes) and Old Telephone Track (approx 5 miles north of the parking area, hence the name) on the northern edge. It is only accessible from the beach*, via marked access points and fenced trails across the dunes. This area is being replanted with natives, to take over from old pines that often litter the area after storms.
DO NOT cross Coast Rd to ride in the forest unless you are a registered rider at Woodhill Forest Kake Hoiho.
The Beach Te Oneone Rangitira
Access to the beach is free, and is available from Coast Rd, Rimmer Rd, or Lake Kareta.
Check the tides carefully. This beach is extremely dangerous!
High tide may leave you with NO BEACH, sand dunes that cannot be climbed (and wire fences to stop you doing so) , strong currents and waves that are over your horse.
The beach is shared, including vehicles, and you should be prepared to face everything from loose dogs to land yachts. more Akl beaches
The Regional Park 5 Mile Block - Access Across the Dunes
All access to the regional park is via marked trails. Do not just climb the dunes! Look for marker poles, and fenced access. The first is just past Okiritoto Stream, on the beach as you ride north from the carpark.
Access points are generally marked with a plastic marker which has an alphabet letter on it e.g. "A" If you are lost, hurt or stuck, this gives you a reference point to relay back to the rangers or emergency services.
They are also set into the dunes at an angle to a) stop dune blowouts and b) help to dissuade motorbikes from using them. If you are riding north on the beach, keep and eye out for access points that are tucked into the dunes and appear to head back the way you have just come.
Access points can change as the dunes change, but the rangers work hard to keep access open (and motorbikes out).
Terrain and Trails in the Regional Park
In the "Five Mile Block", all the trails are sand based (sometimes a little deep) and are mainly quite open and flat with the occasional dune back (but don't ride up these, just continue on the trail). The trails which criss-cross between the two sides of the main loop cut through the little bits of forest and toe-toes. Toward the top of the block there are some pretty areas with kawakawa groves, and as you approach Old Telephone track some 'spooky' old growth pine forest.
Trails are marked with a simple home\away marker system.
There is a dedicated track that takes you from the parking area to the beach, you then turn right, and ride up the beach to one of the marked access points into the Five Mile Strip. The first entry point is just over the stream, but this can be affected by storms. There are several marked entry points across the dunes, however be aware that tides, dune movement and storms may change this area rapidly. Trails available one day may not be there the next, if a storm rolls through!
Getting There
To get to Muriwai, turn off SH16 at the Waimauku roundabout, there is good signage. Follow the road to Muriwai and head down Motutara Rd (the steep windy road down the hill into Muriwai). As you get to the bottom, you will see the fire station, where you turn right onto Coast Rd. Again this is well signposted. The horse park is past the golf course, near the end of the road.
Parking
This is a substantial parking area specifically for loading\unloading horses and includes tie up rails and a drive-through design (no reversing required).
Please keep the horsepark clean! There are manure bins available, do not clean out your horse float and leave the manure for others to stand in. There are also toilets available near the public parking area.
Rimmer Rd Access Point
Rimmer road is still an access point for the beach, but not the forest. Gates are unlocked during daylight hours only. There are no facilities at this entry.
This is a longish (approx 5km) gravel logging road through the forest from Rimmer Rd, (turn off near Goudie rd) with some steep sections, which ends at a parking area near the beach.
This is used a lot by 4WDS, and motorbikes in the weekends but provides a closer option for those coming from the north to ride on the beach.
Share with Care
Other Beach Users
Muriwai is a busy public beach. All others have the same rights as you to use the beach.
You may have to deal with Kite surfers, land yachts, motorbikes, 4WDs, dogs, people fishing, surfing, or doing all manner of strange things, as well as racehorses in training - including harness racers with carts.
Vehicles do have a speed limit on the beach, but use your common sense about staying alert and out of the way if possible. On a good day you may have the beach to yourself - in summer, don't count on it.
Stay calm, have a plan if things look too dangerous for you, or your horse's ability to cope with. Take your cellphone with you, and if there are particular idiots on the beach - photograph them for vehicle IDs etc and report either to the rangers or the Kumeu police.
Don't be a dick!
Be respectful of others right to use and enjoy the beach, and be aware that many novice riders and horses use the beach. Keep your speed down on the trail into\out of the carpark.
Don't canter or gallop if the area is full of people, and don't gallop at all until past the 30kph signpost.
Don't pass the horse trekking operator unless you have asked, particularly on narrow trails. They will let you past, but please respect the trekking horses (and their novice riders) desire for 'order'.
A little history
Please help protect the dunes; stay on the offical marked trails.
The dunes are protected and highly unstable. Riding across them causes erosion and the dunes encroach upon the trails behind.
Woodhill forest is here because this area was a wasteland in the 1920's with the dunes rolling across the entire area and devastating the land. The government of the time had to purchase all the land and plant the marram grasses and pine forests in an effort to halt the dunes from taking over the entire area.
Woodhill Forest
If you cross Coast Rd, you are entering Woodhill Forest.
You MUST BE registered (annual fee), and abide by all rules.
All areas inland of Coast Road (toward the hills) are part of Woodhill Forest (Te Ngahere o Woodhill Kake Hoiho) as are parts north of Old Telephone Track. The gates at Okiritoto Stream\Grass Track Road are controlled by Hancock Forest Management you must be a registered rider with Kake Hoiho to use these gates.