Piha Domain Motor Camp

Art connoisseur? Piha’s West Coast Gallery (two minutes’ walk) is just across the road and next door to the volunteer fire station for cool exhibitions and events. Hiking fan? The Mercer Bay Loop Walk (five minutes' drive) will take you past a fortified village with views of the Piha coastline. Beach buff? Plenty of that too… When you’re not on Piha’s black sand beach, there’s the remoter Karekare Beach (10 minutes) with some sweet views and another waterfall with a swimming hole a small trek away from the car park. Beaches that are further away include the peaceful Kaitarakihi Beach (40 minutes) or its popular neighbour, Cornwallis Beach (40 minutes), where sea kayaking, swimming or fishing off the pier at Cornwallis Wharf are some ways to dive right into the thick of things. Of course, a day out in Auckland (45 minutes) is an attractive option too, and there’s a lot of reasons why, with Auckland Zoo (40 minutes), volcano landscapes, views from the Sky Tower (45 minutes) and the whale or dolphin safaris that depart from the twin harbours.