Te Henga / Bethells Beach

Beaches of the Auckland RegionBlack sand beachesPopulated places in the Auckland RegionUse New Zealand English from June 2022Waitākere Ranges ... and 2 more

Waitākere Ranges Local Board AreaWest Auckland, New Zealand

Te Henga, or Bethells Beach, is a coastal community in West Auckland, New Zealand. The Māori name for the area, "Te Henga", is in reference to the long foredunes which run along the beach and look like the Henga or gunwale of an upturned waka hull. This name originally applied to a wide area of the lower Waitakere River valley, but during the early 1900s the area became popular with visiting European immigrants who began to refer to the area as "Bethells Beach" after the Bethell Family who live there and still own much of the area. In 1976 the New Zealand Geographic Board officially named the area "Te Henga (Bethells Beach)".The beach is approximately 37 km (23 mi) west of Auckland City, at the mouth of the Waitakere River where it flows into the Tasman Sea. One of several popular resorts in the area (others include Muriwai, Piha and Karekare), it is rated the 4th most dangerous beach in New Zealand to swim at due to its strong rips and currents. There have been many fatalities including in 2009, Rugby League star Sonny Fai, who was never located. It experiences a population explosion over summer with thousands of visitors. This has put a lot of pressure on the local infrastructure and environment with an increase in rubbish and parking issues.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Te Henga / Bethells Beach (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Te Henga / Bethells Beach
Bethells Road, Waitākere Ranges

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude	Longitude
N -36.890277777778 °	E 174.45138888889 °

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Address

Bethells Road 258
Waitākere Ranges
Auckland, New Zealand
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Nearby Places

Lake Kawaupaka

Lake Kawaupaka, also known as Lake Kawaupaku, is a small lake near Te Henga (Bethells Beach) in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. The lake is on private land, and is one of the few dune lakes in the region to be surrounded by native forest. It is located south-west of Lake Wainamu.

Waitākere River

The Waitākere River is a river of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows north then west from its sources in the Waitākere Ranges, reaching the Tasman Sea at Te Henga / Bethells Beach, to the south of Muriwai Beach. The upper reaches of the river are dammed to form the Waitākere Reservoir. The Waitākere Falls, just below the dam, are 95 metres (312 ft) high and the third highest waterfall in the North Island.

O'Neill Bay

O'Neill Bay is a bay on the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located north of Te Henga / Bethells Beach.

Lake Wainamu

Lake Wainamu is a small lake near Te Henga (Bethells Beach) in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is located south-west of Lake Kawaupaka.

Anawhata

Anawhata is a beach on the coast of New Zealand west of Auckland.

Whites Beach

Whites Beach is a small beach on the west coast of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located between Piha and Anawhata.

Goldie Bush Scenic Reserve

The Goldie Bush Scenic Reserve, also known as Goldies Bush and Te Taiapa, is a forested area of West Auckland, New Zealand. Located south-east of Muriwai, the reserve is home to the Mokoroa Falls.

Mokoroa Falls

Mokoroa Falls is a waterfall located between Muriwai and the Waitākere Ranges in Auckland's west coast in New Zealand. It is located in the Goldie Bush Scenic Reserve.

Oaia Island

Oaia Island is an island on the west coast of the Auckland Region, New Zealand, near Muriwai. Home to an Australasian gannet colony, the island was traditionally used as a seasonal food resource for Tāmaki Māori iwi, including Te Kawerau ā Maki. Over the 21st century, the gannet population grew significantly, which had a negative impact on the island's flora, and led to gannets colonising areas of the Muriwai mainland. The island is a known location where the rare korowai gecko has been found.

Muriwai Regional Park

Muriwai Regional Park is a regional park located in Muriwai on the west coast of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is situated in Rodney north-west of Auckland and is owned and operated by Auckland Council.

Lion Rock (New Zealand)

Lion Rock is a rocky headland located on Piha Beach in the Waitākere Ranges area of the Auckland Region, New Zealand.

Piha Stream

Piha Stream is a stream of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows westwards from its sources in the Waitākere Ranges through Piha village, and enters the Tasman Sea south of Lion Rock.