Red Beach Auckland
Whangaparaoa Peninsula, New Zealand

Red Beach is just south of Orewa with a bridge over a river between the two. It’s on the east coast, Hibiscus Coast, approximately 40km north of the centre of Auckland and 54km from the international airport.

Part of the Whangaparaoa Bay coastline, Red Beach is located between two rivers, Orewa River and Weiti River, at the start of Whangaparaoa Peninsula.

Red Beach is an ideal location for short trips from Auckland and for international visitors. If you have just arrived in NZ, have picked up your transport, and are planning a tour of Northland, you may want to just get out little way out of Auckland but not drive too far on the first night.

I recommend this as a good place to get some rest before your journey north. Or... if it is the last night of your holiday it’s also a good place to stay to be handy for access to Auckland Airport.

Because of the build-up of Auckland over the years, Red Beach almost seems like a suburb. However, once there I found it to be nice and quiet, it’s not far from the City, and it’s near to Orewa which has plenty of shops, banks, restaurants, and a bit further north is Waiwera with its famous hot pools.

The beach is approx. 2km long, is sandy, and safe.

How to Get to Red Beach

From Auckland

There is a choice of two routes heading north out of Auckland and it’s around a 25 minute drive from Auckland Harbour Bridge.

State Highway 17 (SH17) or Northern Motorway (SH1) - Right turn onto SH17 (Hibiscus Highway)

Turn right onto Red Beach Road before getting to Orewa. If you get to a bridge over Orewa River you have missed the right turn to Red Beach.

From Northland

SH1 - Left onto SH17 for Waiwera and Orewa

Go straight through Orewa, over the bridge; then turn left onto Red Beach Road.

Activities Near Red Beach

Red Beach Recreational Reserve

Snow Planet, Silverdale

Fishing

Surfing and the Beach - Surf forecast

Tiritiri Matangi (Wildlife Sanctuary)

Golf

Whangaparaoa Peninsula

Shakespear Regional Park is at the end of the peninsula if you want to take a drive out there for a walk or view of the Hauraki Gulf. There is a camping site at Te Haruhi Bay.

• Stanmore Bay
• Wade Heads
• Tindails Beach
• Matakatia Bay
• Army Bay
• Tiritiri Matangi Island sanctuary

Motor Park at Red Beach

I stayed at Pinewoods Motor Park, 23 Marie Ave; it’s a very spacious and sheltered site for campervans and camping and is fenced with a security access gate to which you use the card provided.

So if you are parking up a motorhome, the security of an enclosed park gives you a bit more peace of mind when you leave the van. The site has all facilities such as kitchen, showers, laundry, TV lounge, a gym, and includes internet access. Outdoors in the Park there are trampolines and a playground, an outdoor movie screen setup, and a large expanse of grass area.

The hedging between each set of pitches provides a bit of privacy for campers too.

Pinewoods Motor Park is just a short walk to the public beach via a path; The Park also has its own safe private beach called Jacobs Ladder. Ask in the site office for details.

Red Beach Location

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