Piha

Piha does not look like the rest of New Zealand. The sand is black and heavy with iron, Lion Rock sits in the middle of the beach like something dropped there, and the surf comes in hard off the Tasman. On a clear evening the sunset over the water is the best one within an hour of Auckland.

A warning worth taking seriously: Piha is one of the most dangerous swimming beaches in the country. Rips are strong and constant. Swim between the flags when the surf club is patrolling, and if the flags are down, do not swim. This is not caution for its own sake — it catches out visitors every summer.

The drive in crosses the Waitākere Ranges on a road that is steep, narrow and slow in a camper. Take your time and use the lower gears coming down. The campground sits behind the dunes at the southern end, and the black sand gets genuinely hot underfoot on a summer afternoon.