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Muriwai

muriwai - wide, wild, and worth it

Muriwai is one of those west coast beaches that gets into you. The scale of it, the gannets, the light - there's always a reason to go back.

part of the family

My dad surfed Maori Bay for years, so Muriwai was always a name in our house. These days my parents live in Muriwai Valley, which means I'm out there regularly - visiting, photographing, or both.

The kids go there with their grandparents and explore - the beach, the forest, the river. And when we want a catch up outside the house, the golf club café is our spot.

the easy one

Muriwai is the closest west coast beach to Auckland city, and in my opinion the most accessible of the lot. Bethells has a walk, Anawhata has a bush walk, Piha has the drive through the ranges - all stunning, all worth it. But sometimes an easy one is exactly what you need. The carpark is right there, you're basically at the beach, and there are even a couple of viewpoints right off the road if you want to take it all in from above first.

the handsome locals

Let's be honest - the gannets are the stars of Muriwai and they know it.

The colony sits on the cliffs at the end of the beach, and what makes it so special is how close you can get. The viewing platform puts you right there among them. Close enough to watch the neck-stretching greeting display. Close enough to see the nesting behaviour, the bickering, the whole drama of colony life playing out in front of you. These are big, striking birds and they are completely unbothered by your presence.

I never get tired of watching them.

up close

As a photographer, Muriwai is almost unfair. With my 600mm lens I can get right into the detail - feathers, that electric blue eye, a gannet mid-dive over the ocean.

But even without a long lens, the platform gives you more access than you'd expect from a wildlife experience. There's almost no challenge in getting a good shot, which I say as a genuine compliment to the place. The birds are just that close, and that good.

the big wide open

Muriwai beach is vast. The kind of vast where you set up your spot and still have space all around you. There's room for everyone doing their own thing - kids running, people fishing with torpedos, a game of cricket that doesn't get in anyone's way. That sense of freedom is a big part of why I love it. You never feel crowded at Muriwai.

People also drive on the beach here - worth knowing before you visit. Check the Auckland Council website for current restrictions.

the playground

Of course there's nature's playground all around you, but if you do want an actual playground, the one at Muriwai won't disappoint. We love taking visitors here - my Australian friends' kids dubbed the swings "2 story swings" and honestly that's the best description I've heard. There are decent public loos nearby in the carpark too, and when the beach café is open it's a really great spot.

food

My parents living locally means I know the food options well. The golf club café is reliable, relaxed, and good for a proper catch-up over lunch. The Muriwai Deli is well worth it when it's open - just Google the hours before you go as they vary.

The beach café has been closed for a while, hopefully not permanently. If it's there when you go consider it a great bonus!

In the meantime the other two have you covered.

sunset chase

West coast sunsets are something I'm always trying to photograph, and Muriwai is high on my list. I've been out there at the right time more than once and haven't got my money shot yet. The light is there - the conditions just haven't quite lined up the way I want them to. I'll keep going back until they do. That's part of the deal with west coast photography.

a beach that demands respect

Like all west coast beaches, Muriwai is beautiful and wild - and it deserves to be treated with respect. The surf is not a calm swimming beach, and the conditions can be deceptive. Swim between the flags, listen to the lifeguards, and take it seriously. Worth knowing before you go.

muriwai through my lens

Muriwai gives me two completely different photographic subjects - the wide open landscape and the gannets up close - and I love both. The light shifts fast out there and the mood changes with the weather. It's the kind of place where you rarely leave without something worth keeping - and a couple of my Muriwai images have even picked up awards along the way.

Fine art prints available at the Kumeu Arts Centre or here

Anawhata Fine Art

wear muriwai

The Muriwai design features a gannet in full flight sitting inside the M, set against open ocean. When I think about designing for a place, I think about its essence - and for Muriwai, the first thing that came to mind was gannets.

It felt like the only answer really. I've got more Muriwai designs in the works too, so watch this space.

Muriwai gear

thoughts

If you love wide open beaches, extraordinary wildlife, and that particular kind of west coast freedom, Muriwai delivers every time.

And if you see a photographer standing very still near the gannet colony with a very large lens - that's probably me.

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