Anawhata and Te Waha Point

The wild wild west.

Sandwiched between popular Piha and blustery Bethells, the harder to access Anawhata is one tiny community with some specacular scenery, two beaches and a few facilities. Worth visiting if you can cope with the bush track down the hill and back up again. The track to Te Waha Point Lookout is called Laird Thompson Track. Laird Thomson was a local landowner and secretary of the Alpine Sports Club from its foundation in 1929. He gave land in 1966 to provide public with access to Whites Beach. His track starts at North Piha, with Whites Beach and the other end of Anawhata being accessible via Rose track or Anawhata Farm Regional Park. Despite the scarcity of roads, the farm park is blessed with an abundance of accommodation, including the original 'Craw Homestead' and "Keddle House" and a big campground as well as a tramping hut. It would pay to check the status of kauri dieback measures before heading out here.

Image Credit: Photo by Shane Avery on Unsplash