Ninety Mile Beach in Northland New Zealand may be designated as a road, but it is also one of only a few spots where rental firms don't want their vehicles taken. Just a short drive away from Cape Reinga, Ninety Mile Beach is not actually ninety miles long, it's 55 miles -- so closer to 90 kilometres or 88 km to be precise. Why don't they want you to drive there? Probably because too many drivers get stuck, as pictured above (photo from flickr -- here's the source)
From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety_Mile_Beach,_New_Zealand):
"In 1932, Ninety Mile Beach was used as the runway for some of the earliest airmail services between Australia and New Zealand. It is still used as an alternative road to State Highway 1 north of Kaitaia, though mainly for tourist reasons, or when the main road is closed due to landslides or floods."
If you're looking for a cracking deal on campervan hire in New Zealand, go to http://campervanhirenz.co.nz.
If you really have to see Ninety Mile Beach from the comfort of a vehicle, don't get stuck. There are plenty of coach tours on offer once you're in the area.
Video: Below, a video filmed from the cab of a vehicle on Ninety Mile Beach.
Don't forget, for campervan hire in New Zealand, go to http://campervanhirenz.co.nz
I have been General Manager of Motorhome Republic, the operators of this website, for 4 years and with the company for 6 years starting as a Sales / Account Manager. Previous roles have included account manager and software architect for a web design firm, advertising sales across multiple media and television production. I’ve been lucky enough to go Motorhoming several times in Canada, USA and New Zealand so far and grew up going on caravanning holidays with Mum and Dad. The value and freedom Motorhoming offers are its two main drawcards for me. That and the envy on the other campers’ faces when you pull into a State Park campground with no hook ups in a 31’ Class C with double slide outs, on board generator, side awning, exterior entertainment unit and smoker unit for a 10kg salmon caught earlier that day.
I have been in the Motorhome industry for the best part of 6 years and with Motorhomes Republic for the last 18 months. I previously worked for the largest Motorhome rental company in the world as the New Zealand Sales Account Manager. I’ve traveled the length and width of New Zealand in many different categories of Motorhomes, in fact I don’t think there is a main state highway I haven’t driven. The love I have for Motorhomes is one of freedom and flexibility, doing what I want when I want. If I have a hankering for a cup of coffee in a beautiful scenic spot simply stop boil and enjoy….
1 comments:
Beware fellow campervan travelers, whilst I’ll admit driving on 90 mile beach is good fun its extremely dangerous. On the two occasions I’ve been to 90 mile beach I’ve seen a 4WD and a car stuck in soft sand with the tide coming in, needless to say the vehicles were a total right off by the time they got them out of the sand. Campers on the beach, well if it gets stuck you aren’t going anywhere and you can say goodbye to your camper.
If you are nearer the top of 90 mile beach you may be able to track down an old smashed up, wrecked, rusted out shell of a Mercedes (at least that's what we think it was)? The car at one point in time must have been stuck on the beach and then washed out to sea, and then washed back on to the beach. When we found the car you could only see a third of the vehicle sticking out of the sand but if you get a chance track that rust bucket down.
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