Titahi Bay Beach:
I consider this beach my ‘local’. Titahi Bay beach is a popular spot for surfers (hence the cache name) and when the wind is from the West and the waves roll in, you will always see the surfers doing their thing toward the South end of the bay where the rollers come in with the best break. The beach also has other redeeming features that make it well worth a visit.
The beach boasts a fine example of a petrified forest that is reasonably easily accessible. The forest is estimated to be between 70,000 – 150,0000 years old and can be seen only at very low tides, and then only occasionally. Depending on the sea conditions over the previous few days, more or less of the forest is uncovered in the sand. It seems that calm conditions expose more of the forest than rough weather.
The tides can be viewed via the following link if you wish to time your visit for best results. Look for a Low tide less than 0.3
Porirua Harbour Tides
You are looking for rocks, that protrude only a few cm above the sand, more or less circular, that have amazing whirls and pockets on the upper surface – this being the eroded end of the tree trunk. The trees are estimated to be several metres high each.
In the summer, the beach is packed with people enjoying the safe swimming environment – the Northern end of the beach shelves very gently, making it ideal for little people as the shallows are quite warm, and it takes ages for a determined youngster to wade out over his/her depth! The beach is one of the few that you can drive your car onto – and many people do just that.
The Titahi Bay boatsheds are almost iconic. The row of them at each end of the bay are often photographed, looking like a patchwork quilt with no two colors the same. Ownership of each one is jealously guarded and often handed down as a family heirloom. The council will no longer permit new ones to be built, and there are stringent limitations on what you can and can’t do as maintenance (such as a restricted color palette), and when attempting to sell them. Living in them is forbidden, but if you look around, it’s obvious some people do.
When placed, Surfs Up contained :
- Stashnote, Logbook & pencil