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piha - one road in, one road out

Piha and I go way back. Long before I could drive myself there, it was just where we went - and something about that black sand, those rocks, and that wild west coast energy got into me early and never really left.

it started with dad

Like a lot of my beach memories, Piha starts with my dad. He's a surfer, so the west coast was basically our second home growing up. Raglan for longer trips, Gisborne for really long trips - Piha for day trips, because when you grow up in Auckland, Piha is just there. Close enough to be spontaneous, dramatic enough to feel like a proper adventure every time.

the black sand gauntlet

If you've ever been to Piha in summer, you know. That stretch of black sand between the carpark and the water is basically a frying pan. I broke more than one jandal sprinting across it as a teenager - and I'm pretty sure that's a rite of passage for anyone who grew up on the west coast. Have you even lived in West Auckland if you haven't burnt your feet on black sand?

the teen years

As a teenager, Piha became the day trip of choice for our cirlcle of friends - pile into someone's car and head west. No parents, no one packing extra for you, no one to bail you out. That's when you really learned the lessons. The black sand gauntlet got a whole lot more strategic - I remember throwing a towel down and leaping from that to a friend's towel just to survive the trek to the water. You figure it out fast.

20s and 30s

In my twenties and thirties, Piha became the place I'd take people. Anyone who came to stay got the Piha trip - friends visiting from Japan, anyone new to New Zealand. It's one of those places you want to show people. Like, this is what New Zealand looks like. I even taught a South Island friend - strictly a lake person - how to boogie board there. She survived and caught a great wave!

the enclosed coast

One thing people don't always expect about Piha is how contained it feels. Muriwai is vast and open. Piha is different -it's tucked in, surrounded by the Waitakere Ranges, with a lot to explore in a smaller area. The drive through the ranges is part of the experience, and that view when you crest the top before you drop down to the coast? Worth it every single time.

now we bring the kids

These days I'm doing the same trips I did as a kid, but with my own children in tow. Watching them on that beach - same black sand, same wild surf - is one of those full circle moments that sneaks up on you. But it's not just the beach. We explore -the rocks, the dunes, the little holes and formations that make Piha feel like its own little world to discover. Every visit there's something new to find, or something familiar to revisit. They're making their own Piha memories now, which feels pretty special.

cool piha rocks

the rocks though

Here's the thing about Piha - I could watch the surf all day, but honestly? It's the rocks that get me. Lion Rock is the obvious star, but it's the details I love. Taitomo Rock - the Gap - the little hole in the rock, the textures, the colours, the way they sit in the water. I've always said I should've been a geologist. I'm constantly wondering about the history of what I'm looking at, how it all got here, what shaped it. I don't have the answers, but I love asking the questions.

It's made me love photographing Piha too. The rock formations, the surf, the dune grasses, the light - there's always something worth pointing a camera at.

waves at piha

A Beach That Demands Respect

Piha will burn your feet and steal your jandals - and that's before you even get to the water. Like all west coast beaches, it's beautiful and it's wild, and it deserves to be treated with respect. It's not a calm swimming beach, and the surf can be deceptive. Swim between the flags, listen to the lifeguards, and take it seriously. It's part of what makes Piha Piha - but it's worth knowing before you go.

piha, Through My Lens

Piha was always going to make it into my fine art work. The rocks, the light, the drama - it's a photographer's dream. I've got my Piha fine art prints available here, printed locally on fine art paper - and honestly, I'm always finding an excuse to head back and shoot more. There's no shortage of inspiration.

Fine art

piha icons

The iconic one. Lion Rock is the heart of Piha and it felt right to make it the centrepiece of this design. Printed locally on tees, hoodies and hats - perfect for anyone who loves this place.

piha icons gear

piha surf

For those who want to capture that west coast energy in a more graphic way - all about the surf, no landmark needed. Printed locally on tees, hoodies and hats.

 

piha surf gear

Who Does Raglan Remind You of?

For me it's my dad first and foremost - he's the reason we went in the first place. But these days it also reminds me of every visitor I've ever dragged out there to show them what the west coast is made of, my South Island lake friend on a boogie board, and of course my kids, busy making their own Piha memories now. I'd love to know who it reminds you of - drop a comment below.

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