This is a fantastic west coast beach....black as coal sand, awesome scenery and great surfing. My partner and I went for a horse trek with AboutRiding.co.nz on this beach they took us through the forest and we waded along a river, saw seals and had a fantastic time, definitly a great way to capture some some of Aucklands west coast essence.
This is my favourite beach, we often come here for walks with the kids or do a bit of body surfing. The waves are wild so I stay quite shallow with young kids and we always have a good time. The perfectly calm swimming pool beaches on the east coast are better for really young kids. Another attraction here is the Gannet colony, quite a sight. We sometimes grab some food in Kumeu and park at the beach to eat and watch the sunset.