Since rental companies won’t allow their cars on the sand of the beach (for safety reasons), the easy way to drive along the beach is to catch a coach tour from Kaitaia. These tours use special vehicles that are built for off-road driving and have large panorama windows so that you won’t miss a minute of the view.
You’ll get the thrill of zooming down the beach with the Tasman Sea on one side and the sand dunes on the other – without having to worry about driving. Don’t be shocked when your driver steers the bus straight up Te Paki Stream up into the sand dunes – it’s all part of the off-road thrill.
breathtaking glory of Ninety Mile Beach wasn’t enough, right at the northern end, near the Te Paki Stream, are some seriously steep and seriously fun sand dunes.
Just a short drive off the main road north to Cape R?inga, they are a small detour that delivers a big reward.
You’ll need a sandboard for the adrenaline-pumping ride down, and you can just rent one onsite, real simple. In the busy season, you might want to pre-book, and you’ll need ID. Yep, even for a sandboard, and they’re not even motorised. Though by the time you get to the bottom, you might start to wonder.