EXPLORE | THE NEW LONG BAY
A PLACE FOR EVERYONE Jill Malcolm walks and talks at a popular regional park
I
View over Long Bay beach from Vaughn House
48 Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations
’ve just ambled a kilometre along what is arguably Auckland’s loveliest beach. For those who haven’t been there, it’s where a wide spread of sandy beach adjoins a marine reserve, 25km north of downtown Auckland. Stretching the length of the shore is an expansive undulating, grassy reserve covering about 16 hectares and liberally planted with bushes, Norfolk pines, and pōhutukawa trees that offer shady spots for picnicking and barbecues. By day, particularly during summer weekends, the park is a favourite haunt of leisure-seeking Aucklanders. Long Bay offers a great opportunity for RVers to stay close to New Zealand’s largest city without actually being in it. At night the park empties except for certified self-contained motorhomes and caravans which, for a small charge, can park on specified sites overnight. Then, the crowds have gone and the reserve is hushed and blissfully peaceful. The only sounds are the rumbling of waves against the shore and the peevish mewing of seagulls scanning for tidbits. And it was wonderful to wake up early the next morning and have the whole beach to myself.
