Karioitahi Beach is a black sand

Black sand

Black sand is sand that is black in color. One type of black sand is a heavy, glossy, partly magnetic mixture of usually fine sands, found as part of a placer deposit. Another type of black sand, found on beaches near a volcano, consists of tiny fragments of lava.While some beaches are...

 beach located in Franklin District

Franklin District

The territorial authority of Franklin District was abolished on 31 October 2010 and was divided between Auckland Council in the Auckland Region to the north and Waikato and Hauraki districts in the Waikato Region to the south and east. It was administered from the town of Pukekohe...

, near Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

, on the west coast of New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

.
It is a rugged and windswept environment, often used for beach activities such as surfing

Surfing

Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...

, fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

, horse riding, off-road motorcycling

Motorcycling

Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. A variety of subcultures and lifestyles have been built up around motorcycling.-Benefits:Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a paean celebrating motorcycling...

 and, most notably, paragliding

Paragliding

Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...

. This provides lifeguards with a large variety of potential hazards to mitigate and situations to deal with as detailed as the location for 3 Rescue of the Month awards from Surf Life Saving New Zealand in two seasons (2009/2010 & 2010/2011)

Beach Name Variation

There appears to be some confusion about the spelling of Kariotahi. It has been rumoured that Karioitahi indeed the correct way. It is usually referred to in the media, and road name, as Karioitahi Beach. However, it is also referred to as Kariotahi reasonably often as well. The local surf club has adopted the spelling Kariaotahi.

Surf Life Saving Kariaotahi

The local surf club

Surf Life Saving New Zealand

Surf Life Saving New Zealand is the national association representing 73 Surf Life Saving clubs in New Zealand. The organisation's motto is 'In it for life'...

, 'Surf Life Saving Kariaotahi' was founded in 1968 and has been voted Best Patrolled Beach in Northern Region for the 2003, 2005, 2006 & 2008 seasons. Patrols operate on all weekends and public holidays from Labour Weekend in October to mid March/early April, with minimum patrolling hours being 11am-4pm Oct/Nov/March/April and 11am-5pm Dec/Jan/Feb. Weekday patrols (10am-6pm) are run from mid December until late January.

One of the members from the club, Chris Parker, won Surf Life Saving New Zealand Rescue Of The Year and Northern Regional Lifeguard of the Year for the 2009/10 season.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand awarded Rescue of the Month for February 2011 to a trio of Northern Region lifeguards teaching a school group about beach safety at Kariaotahi Beach when a fishing boat flipped in the surf 600 metres north of the clubhouse. They, with the assistance of the Kariaotahi Call Out Squad and other emergency services, successfully resuscitated one of the fisherman

Surf Sports

SLS Kariaotahi used to be identified at competitions by an orange and chocolate brown quarter-cap but has since adopted the colours of red, white and black which is in line with other sports teams from the region, such as the Counties-Manukau Steelers.

SLS Kariaotahi lifeguards actively compete in canoe racing and IRB racing

IRB racing

Inflatable Rescue Boat Racing, is a surf sport where local surf lifesaving club teams race Inflatable Rescue Boats under competitive conditions...

 which are team events. Both disciplines produced medal winning performances at the 2011 Northern Region District Championships held at Ruakaka

Paragliding Schools

The southern end of the beach and cliff, known as Maioro, is commonly used for by local paragliding schools for training beginner pilots. Qualified paraglider pilots are advised against flying in the area, thus leaving it safe and clear for beginners.

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