New Zealand, day one: a birthday at the end of the world

I will never forget my first day in New Zealand. It was my birthday, and it was exactly how I’d imagined it – far from home, at the end of the world. Those first days are always stuck in the memory best – they set the tone for the whole trip. And knowing I had 18 days of adventure ahead only cranked up the excitement.

Karekare Falls – 30 metres of watery adrenaline

The first stop was Karekare Falls in the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. A short, half-kilometre walk leads to a 30-metre waterfall surrounded by palms and lush, exotic vegetation.

Mercer Bay Loop – a walk with views and Māori history

Next up was the Mercer Bay Loop Track. This 2.2-kilometre loop leads to Te Ahua, a place of significance for Māori, with jaw-dropping views over the west coast. A high cliff, wind whipping your hair, waves smashing into the rocks… can you imagine a better backdrop?

Piha, Lion Rock and Kitekite Falls – beach magic

Piha is a stunning, wide beach, dominated by its icon: Lion Rock. This ancient volcano, shaped like a reclining lion, looking at the ocean. Right next to it is another curiosity – the Keyhole Natural Tunnel. A natural tunnel carved into the rock, looking like a gigantic eye of a needle.

Not far away, you can wander to Kitekite Falls – a charming waterfall reached via a trail winding through palm forest.

Whites Beach and Anawhata Beach Track – almost deserted corners

You don’t need to go far to reach another spectacular viewpoint – Te Waha Point Lookout. From here, you get sweeping views of the coastline and the almost deserted Whites Beach. The lookout is reached via the Laird Thomson Track, a pleasant walk through New Zealand’s rolling green fields.

The Anawhata Beach Track leads along cliffs, through lush forest, to a small, beautiful beach where you’ll often meet… well, no one at all.

Bethells Beach (Te Henga) – the raw power of the Tasman Sea

But the real show-stealer is Bethells Beach. This is one of those places where you genuinely feel like a castaway. Wild coastline, vast stretches of sand, emerald-coloured water – the perfect spot to surrender to the power of the Tasman Sea. For the persistent, there’s a 10-kilometre coastal route waiting.

Tirikohua Point – the end of the world

Tirikohua Point is a little-known, and therefore even more atmospheric, stretch of the west coast of the North Island. A trail through wild pasture and waist-high grass leads to towering cliffs that look like the literal end of the world. The route is under 2 kilometres – a small price to pay for having a beach all to yourself.

Muriwai Gannet Colony Beach

The trip ends at Muriwai Gannet Colony Beach – a must for nature and bird lovers. Muriwai impresses with its black volcanic sand and dramatic cliff-lined coast.

And that’s how the first day in New Zealand – and my birthday at the edge of the world – came to an end. Just one day, but so packed with sights that it felt like I’d lived a hundred already 😄