Pamela Moresby
Along the West Coast of New Zealand, there are West Coast beaches and some beaches with black sand. A lot of people go swimming and surfing, along this Coast. In some places there are very large waves and a few rocky head lands.
Some of this Black sand was called “Iron Sand” and some NZ Iron comes from this, or some may go to some steel mills. Some people protest about this as it makes an negative effect on our pristine environment. So in places it’s getting protected.
I’ve only got a few places here but will continue with this another time.
The Sea between New Zealand’s West Coast and Australia’s East Coast is called the “Tasman Sea.” Named after Able Tasman who was the first recorded person that discovered New Zealand. He took off when they encountered some Maoris, they would look frightening to these Europeans.
Piha Beach, Auckland’s West Coast.
This is known as "Lion Rock", because it looks like one. You can walk up half way up this Rock, but now you are only allowed to go up so far, because some people went up at night with alcohol and got drunk and fell off the rock. I don't think that these people survived.
You can see the Black sand here and no one is taking it away.
Muriwai’s Gannet Colony, West Auckland
Karekare Beach, West Auckland
Muriwai Beach, Auckland’s West Coast
A few gannets fly over the sea, and they go out to sea watching out for fish. Muriwai is a Gannet Colony and they fly around here. Some fly to Australia and then later on back to this same place.
Many people come here not just to swim and surf but to see the Gannet Colony. The Gannets are fenced off, for their own protection. So they can rear their young chicks without being disturbed.
Kariotahi Beach, West Coast, Franklin
Kariotahi Beach, West Coast, Franklin
Muriwai Beach, West Auckland
Piha Beach, West Auckland and all at Sea
The waves at Piha beach are often large, swift and strong. When I was a teenager, you could hardly stand up in the sea, the waves were very strong. It sucks the water back and everything in it's path, and then you can come in on the waves.
For this reason, this beach has had many people drowned in it. There are life guards watching over swimmers and it's wise to swim between the flags.
