Exploring Bethells Beach & Lake Wainamu – A Local’s Guide

For anyone wanting a beach day while in Auckland, be sure to explore Bethells Beach – or Te Henga, as it is known in the Maori language. One of my favourite beaches in New Zealand, it’s famous for black sand and wild coastline and is found on Auckland’s west coast.

Nearby you will also find Lake Wainamu surrounded by gigantic sand dunes and native forest. Both the lake and Bethells Beach are included in my Top 45 Things to do in Auckland post.

The whole area gives off a Lost World kind of vibe as it is surrounded by cliffs, caves, native forest and rugged shoreline. Explore Bethells Beach and the surrounding lake area widely, and you will be rewarded. Quite a few TV shows & movies have been filmed here.

Things to do at Bethells Beach

The first thing you should do upon arriving at the beach is go for a swim. Be sure to swim between the flags as Bethells is known for its strong currents. The flags are always located on the safest part of the beach for swimming and are patrolled by life guards.

Just to the right of the main beach is a short 15 minute walk up over some sand dunes which takes you to O’Neill Bay. I definitely recommend checking this out. It is more peaceful and away from the crowds that pack the main beach during summer. Also the walk itself is quite picturesque. Surfers tend to hangout here too, more so than the main beach.

Right at the south end of the main beach at Bethells is a huge cave known as Bethells Cave. Musicians have been known to record/perform in the cave because of the great acoustics. It takes about 10 minutes to walk down here from the entrance to the main beach. Located in the opposite direction to O’Neills Bay.

After you explore Bethells Beach, check out Lake Wainamu

Known for huge rolling sand dunes, Lake Wainamu is a must visit for any trip to Bethells Beach. I’ve never seen another place quite like it anywhere in the world. Surrounded by native forest and with some of the cleanest fresh water in Auckland, the lake is worth the stroll across the giant dunes.

I love swimming here and it’s great fun to sprint down the sand dunes straight into the lake. Locals occasionally rig up home made water slides here in summer. It’s a great way to wash off the salt water after a dip at the main beach.

A word of warning. Make sure you bring proper footwear. It is roughly a two kilometre hike across the sand dunes and they get extremely hot during summer. Jandals /sandals don’t cut it as the sand just leaks in. Bring closed shoes.

If you feel like exploring further, the Lake Wainamu loop track is a great scenic stroll around the lake. It leads out to Waitohi Falls. The whole track takes roughly one hour to complete.

Te Henga Walkway

Te Henga Walkway is a 10 km one way walk starting in Bethells Beach and finishing up in Muriwai Beach. It takes roughly 3 1/2 hours and you will need to drop a car off in Muriwai if you don’t want to do a return trip. The path follows the coast and the views are stunning.

The west coast is known to be wild and rugged and this is a perfect way to experience it. Be sure to check out Muriwai Beach once you arrive. The walk starts over in O’Neill Bay.

Getting to and From

Bethells Beach (Te Henga) and Lake Wainamu are 40 minutes from Auckland city by car. If you don’t have a car, I recommend hitchhiking which I have done before to get here.

From Auckland City, catch a train out to the last stop on the Western Line called Swanson. From here, walk out of the train station onto the main road, orientate yourself, and stick your thumb out. It is roughly 20 minutes from Swanson to the Bethells Beach. People will be happy to give you lift.

For a train timetable to Swanson, Click HERE

Facilities

In summer, there is a small food truck parked in the carpark just before the entrance to the beach. Food is good but pricey. Bring your own if possible. Also, in the colder months this truck most likely will not be here.

Located just across from the food truck are public toilets. These have showers and are perfect for changing into swimming gear or cleaning up after you explore Bethells Beach.

The car park is big but it gets full quickly in summer. Often, you need to park up the road further closer to the entrance to Lake Wainamu. This isn’t really a bad thing especially if you plan on checking out the lake after the beach.