Mitimiti is a remote, extensive, beautiful west coast beach north of Hokianga Harbour, Northland. It is reached on West Coast Road, a 50-minute drive from Kohukohu. Mitimiti means “lick lick”, and one explanation for the name is that the souls of the dead stopped there for a drink on their way to Cape Reinga. You can also find a less appealing story here!
The main section of the hamlet is backed by high hills, with a high point of 498 metres. Warawara Forest broadly covers the hills. As you approach the beach, you will see the attractive Hato Hēmi Catholic church and Mātihetihe Marae. Tihetihe refers to the tumbleweeds that grow in the dunes.
The road divides, and the quickest way to the beach is to head south of the marae, where there is a public toilet and a large reserve. The local urupa (Māori cemetery) can be seen above the dunes. The cemetery includes a memorial gateway established in 2013 by the local iwi and NZ Chinese Association. This records the sinking of the SS Ventnor in 1902, which was carrying the remains of 499 Chinese miners back to China. The bones washed up along the coast, and local Māori buried them in their urupa. Over 100 years later, the two communities joined the dots.
From the reserve, walk across the Matihetihe Stream, then 200 metres through a wide gap in the dunes to the beach. Looking south, it is about 15 km along the beach to the north side of Hokianga Harbour. If you have a 4WD, you can drive across the stream and then to the vast dunes at the head of the harbour. Looking north, the beach narrows with a moderate sandy cliff and 700 metres of rock platform at the high tide line. There are numerous rock pools to explore as the tide goes out. Watch out for the cattle that have made part of the beach their home!
The second option is to continue on West Coast Road to the end. The road veers north through the hamlet, with several houses overlooking the coast. A small reserve is on a cliff above the beach at the road's end. Immediately south of the reserve is a rough track down to the beach. You can explore the rock platforms from the track and walk or take a 4WD 4 km north to Morewa Point.
