Whiritoa
Encyclopedia
Whiritoa is a small beach village on the Coromandel Peninsula
between Whangamata
and Waihi Beach
. It has a permanent population in the low hundreds, which swells to over a thousand during the New Year holiday period.
It has a convenience store, a library and a volunteer fire department. The local Surf lifesaving club has a close relationship with the community of regularly holidaying families.
At the north end of the 1.5 km beach is a small lagoon
and past this is a short walk to Waimama bay. The lagoon has a cycle of being blocked by sand then being dug out by the council digger or enthusiastic members of the public. At the south end is a short bush walk to a blowhole
.
The beach itself is popular for surfers as it often features a roaming sandbar or two. The shore is often quite steep meaning the waves are sometimes breaking directly on the sand making it difficult for casual swimmers.
, starting its formation around 6,000 to 7,000 years ago.
Early Māori communities removed most of the original coastal forest and dune
plants. Farmers then introduced stock to the dune area, disturbing the native sand-binding grasses and causing severe wind erosion
. Most of the sand reserves eroded, reducing the height of the dunes and caused sheets of sand to move more than 200m inland. The sand at Whiritoa Beach was mined
for over 50 years; in total more than 180,000 m³ of sand has been removed. Since the 1960s coastal subdivision
has covered most of what remains of the sand dune reserves.
Coromandel Peninsula
The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Waikato Region and Thames-Coromandel District and extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west...
between Whangamata
Whangamata
The town of Whangamata is sited on the southeast coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 30 kilometres north of Waihi, to the north of the western extremity of the Bay of Plenty....
and Waihi Beach
Waihi Beach
Waihi Beach is a coastal town at the western end of the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand's North Island. It lies 10 kilometres to the east of the town of Waihi, at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula. Waihi Beach has 10 kilometres of white sand linking it to the small settlement of Bowentown...
. It has a permanent population in the low hundreds, which swells to over a thousand during the New Year holiday period.
It has a convenience store, a library and a volunteer fire department. The local Surf lifesaving club has a close relationship with the community of regularly holidaying families.
At the north end of the 1.5 km beach is a small lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
and past this is a short walk to Waimama bay. The lagoon has a cycle of being blocked by sand then being dug out by the council digger or enthusiastic members of the public. At the south end is a short bush walk to a blowhole
Blowhole (geology)
In geology, a blowhole is formed as sea caves grow landwards and upwards into vertical shafts and expose themselves towards the surface, which can result in blasts of water from the top of the blowhole if the geometry of the cave and blowhole and state of the weather are appropriate.A blowhole is...
.
The beach itself is popular for surfers as it often features a roaming sandbar or two. The shore is often quite steep meaning the waves are sometimes breaking directly on the sand making it difficult for casual swimmers.
History
Whiritoa beach is typical of many beaches along the eastern Coromandel PeninsulaCoromandel Peninsula
The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Waikato Region and Thames-Coromandel District and extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west...
, starting its formation around 6,000 to 7,000 years ago.
Early Māori communities removed most of the original coastal forest and dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
plants. Farmers then introduced stock to the dune area, disturbing the native sand-binding grasses and causing severe wind erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
. Most of the sand reserves eroded, reducing the height of the dunes and caused sheets of sand to move more than 200m inland. The sand at Whiritoa Beach was mined
Sand mining
Sand mining is a practice that is becoming an environmental issue as the demand for sand increases in industry and construction. Sand is mined from beaches and inland dunes and dredged from ocean beds and river beds. It is often used in manufacturing as an abrasive, for example, and it is used to...
for over 50 years; in total more than 180,000 m³ of sand has been removed. Since the 1960s coastal subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
has covered most of what remains of the sand dune reserves.
External links
- Whiritoa at the Hauraki District Council