There are more than a dozen beaches within half an hour’s drive of Warkworth and one of the most breathtaking is Omaha’s four kilometre band of shelving white sand. American marines practised here for Pacific landings during World War II but the beach and its enthusiastic surfers have long forgotten that activity.
Despite this connection with US forces, Omaha Beach New Zealand is not named after “Bloody” Omaha in Normandy, France, which was one of the principal landing points of the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France in June 1944 and the scene of horrific American casualties. Indeed Omaha, Normandy, is named after a Native American people inhabiting northeast Nebraska, whereas Omaha, New Zealand, is a Maori word understood to mean “place of pleasure”…
At the southern end of Omaha beach you can walk at low tide along the rocky foreshore towards the Tawharanui Regional Park. About a kilometre from the end is Pink Beach, coloured by crushed red and pink shells. For more information on Tawharanui, please refer to the “Matakana” section of this website.
The Omaha peninsula, which extends into the unspoilt Whangateau Harbour, is one of the region’s few breeding sites for the endangered New Zealand dotterel. In 1999, for the first time in seven years, two chicks survived to fledge at Omaha, thanks to a public education programme, the erection of a vehicle barrier and the appointment of wardens.
The small settlement of Whangateau, North West of the harbour, hosts a camp ground, a historic community hall and the sports grounds of the Rodney Rams, the local rugby league team. Whangateau in Te Reo (Maori) means “the harbour with the strong current”.
Ti Point, at the head of the harbour, opposite Omaha, is home to a reptile park, developed more than 25 years ago on owner Ivan Borich’s bush-clad property which sweeps down to the sea.
Ivan’s extraordinary park is home to arguably one of the best ranges of New Zealand reptiles, including tuatara. Exotics such as turtles, tortoises, chameleons, green iguanas, lizards and an American alligator complement the natives. Ivan started with a variety of animals, including zebra and bison, before he decided to specialise in the breeding and display of reptiles.
The wharf at Ti Point is popular for fishing and is the starting point for the coastal walkway which hugs the beach and crosses farmland to a scenic reserve. Large pohutakawa trees line the shore and there are sweeping views from the track over Omaha Bay. The volcanic rocks at Ti Point are often used for climbing and abseiling.
Lying to the west of Omaha is the tiny settlement of Point Wells. Its balmy climate makes it ideal for the cultivation of citrus, palms and other cycads. The Mariposa Palm Gardens specialises in kentias and other sought-after species and hosts a café amongst the palms.
A concrete ramp at the reserve at the end of Point Wells Drive gives boat access to the Whangateau Harbour for two hours either side of low tide. The harbour is one of the least spoiled between Auckland and Whangarei, still having large shellfish beds and providing a feeding ground for local and migrant wading birds.
In the early 1860s Captain Dacre purchased a large area of land from Maori and the area became known as Dacre’s Claim. Settlers felled trees that surrounded the Whangateau harbour, mainly for firewood for the Auckland market. Timber rapidly vanished and the land was left unoccupied after a dispute with Maori over land ownership. Although some smaller craft were built earlier, it was not until 1873 that large-scale ship building began in earnest around the harbour’s shores. Still standing today is the historic Big Omaha Wharf, which has now been restored.
For more information on Omaha, Whangateau, Point Wells and Ti Point, please refer to the “Sights and Activities”, “Eating Out” and “Accommodation” sections of this website.
For more information on Omaha visit: www.omahabeach.org.nz
Map of Omaha