Muriwai
Encyclopedia
Muriwai, also called Muriwai Beach, is a coastal community located on the west coast of North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
, 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 also home to a large colony of gannets.
Location
It is approximately 17km West of Kumeu, 42 kilometres Northwest of AucklandAuckland
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...
city, at the southern end of an unbroken 50 kilometre stretch of beach which extends up the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
coast to the mouth of the Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour is a large enclosed harbour estuary complex on the north western side of the North Island of New Zealand. The northern part of the harbour is administered by the Kaipara District and the southern part is administered by the Rodney District...
.
One of several popular beaches in the area (others include Piha
Piha
Piha is a northern New Zealand coastal settlement with a population of about 600. It is one of the most popular beaches in the area and a major day-trip destination for Aucklanders throughout the year, although especially so in summer.-Location:...
and Karekare
Karekare, New Zealand
Karekare is a small coastal settlement in northern New Zealand, where the Waitakere Ranges descend into a large black sand surf beach.- Location :It is located 35 kilometres west of Auckland city centre, south of the larger beach of Piha....
), it experiences a population explosion in summer when Aucklanders head to the sea.
Statistics
At the 2001 Census of Population and Dwellings: The census usually resident population count for Muriwai Beach was 2,037, a change of 14.3 percent since 1996.The median income of people in Muriwai Beach is $24,500, compared with $19,500 for Rodney District and $18,500 for all of New Zealand. The unemployment rate in Muriwai Beach was 5.3 percent, compared with Rodney District percent for 5.1 and 7.5 percent for all of New Zealand.http://www2.stats.govt.nz/domino/external/Web/CommProfiles.nsf/htmldocs/Muriwai%20Beach+Community+Profile
Activity
- Surfing is the main pastime at Maori Bay/Muriwai. Other pastimes enjoyed at Maori Bay include paragliding and hang gliding, especially when the prevailing souwesterly wind provides favourable conditions.
- Fishing is also popular, although dangerous in many places.
- Bush walking is encouraged, with boardwalks in place.
- Driving along the beach is popular, especially at fishing contest time, although vehicles have been mass stranded in past years.
- Sand yachts are available for hire at the local beach store.
- There are also many mountain bike trails up in the pines, mainly downhill and freeride trails.
- The beach was used extensively for motor racing from the 1920s through to the 1940s.
Geology
Sand and Rock, Older volcanic material, with many concretions and layers in the cliff walls. A blowhole plays often. The shore platform is also well jointed, with the main rock type being piha conglomerate.Black sand beach
It is also unique because of its black sandBlack 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...
, caused by the iron content derived from the ancient volcanoes in the area. The majority of the black mineral sand is carried up the west coast from Mt Taranaki through the process of longshore drift
Longshore drift
Longshore drift consists of the transportation of sediments along a coast at an angle to the shoreline, which is dependent on prevailing wind direction, swash and backwash. This process occurs in the littoral zone, and in or within close proximity to the surf zone...
. This sand is igneous material that was eroded from the volcanic area. Despite this, the area has retained much of its natural beauty and isolation.