Lake Wainamu
A dune lake behind Bethells, reached by walking up a stream bed and over a wall of black sand.
You park on Bethells Road and follow the stream in, ankle deep in places, then climb the dunes. The lake sits behind them, dark and still, ringed with bush. People sandboard down the big dune and swim off the far end. Dogs are prohibited. There are no toilets, and the sand gets genuinely hot enough to hurt in February.
Photos
Robin Capper · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Facilities checked 2026-08-13 againstaucklandcouncil.govt.nz
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