Uretiti Beach

35°57′28″S 174°27′57″E

Sea view from Uretiti campground, showing Hen Island

Uretiti Beach ([ˈʉɾɛˌtiti]) is a stretch of beach between Ruakākā and Waipu on Bream Bay to the south of Whangārei in Northland, New Zealand. It comprises the coastal side of the Uretiti Recreation Reserve[1] and Uretiti Scenic Reserve,[2][3] and is served by a Department of Conservation (DOC) campground within the Recreation Reserve.[4] Uretiti Beach is popular for swimming, surfing, and fishing, and a well-known clothing-optional beach and gay cruising site.

Name

The name Uretiti dates to before the British colonization of New Zealand. DOC consulted with the local Patuharakeke hapū before setting the official names of the reserves, but were given no advice on the meaning of Uretiti.[5] In Māori, ure means "penis", and titi means "peg" or "to poke".[6]

It is also local belief that the area was named after the breeding ground of the titi bird, also known as muttonbird or Sooty shearwater. The translation of ure insinuates the meaning of breeding ground, instead of the direct translation.[7]

Physical geography

Uretiti Beach faces almost due east into Bream Bay. Its northern and southern extremities are defined by DOC boundaries rather than topographical features;[5] it shades into Ruakākā Beach adjacent to Ruakākā township at the northern end,[2] and into the Waipu Wildlife Refuge near Waipu town at the southern end.[2][5] The stretch of beach thus defined is approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) long. Northeast of Ruakākā, Bream Bay ends at Marsden Point, marking the mouth of Whangārei Harbour. Southeast of Waipu town are further beaches including Waipu Cove and Langs Beach before the Bay ends at Bream Tail. The Hen and Chicken Islands lie approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) offshore to the east.[1][3]

Recreational use

Uretiti is a popular site for surfing, fishing, swimming, and walking.[8][9][10] Its water consistently passes water quality tests for swimming safety.[8] It is not patrolled by lifeguards.[9] The beach is a section of Te Araroa walking trail, which runs the length of the country.[8]

The main access to the beach is via the DOC campground, which provides 300 unpowered tent sites and facilities described as "basic" – toilets, water taps, and cold showers (hot showers are coin-operated).[4][10][11] DOC warns visitors to clean their shoes upon leaving to avoid spreading kauri dieback disease, and notes that wasp nests are a hazard in the area.[4] Uretiti is a popular site for New Year's Eve revelry; visitors wishing to camp during the peak of the season are advised to book in advance.[10] New Year revellers and other visitors frequently light fireworks or bonfires on the beach despite total fire bans in the area;[12] fireworks are believed to be responsible for a fire which claimed 500 square metres (5,400 sq ft) of scrub in 2016.[13]

Nudity

Uretiti is Northland's most popular beach for naturism.[8][10][11] In general, naturists use the southern half of the beach; however, this is a custom rather than an enforceable rule.[11] Public nudity is legal on any New Zealand beach where it is "known to occur".[14] Nudity is not permitted within the DOC campground; campers found in breach of this rule are asked to dress or leave the site.[8][10][15]

Uretiti is an established site for gay activity, including gay naturism and cruising in addition to rainbow-themed New Year parties.[12]

Tensions over crab-fishing

Tensions have arisen between visiting crab-fishers and local residents, who allege that the fishers frequently leave animal carcasses, used as crab bait, on the beach. A number of fishers drowned in the late 2010s while setting crab pots in small dinghies. As a large proportion of these fishers are of East Asian origin, calls for crab-fishing to be banned in the area have become racially charged.[16][17][18]

References
  1. "Search Result - Official Name Uretiti Recreation Reserve". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  2. "Whangarei bylaws map" (PDF). Department of Conservation. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  3. "Search Result - Official Name Uretiti Scenic Reserve". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  4. "Uretiti Beach Campsite". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  5. "Naming of the conservation areas in Bream Bay". Department of Conservation. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  6. Ryan, P. M. (2008). The Raupō Dictionary of Modern Māori. Raupō. ISBN 978-0-143-00932-0.
  7. Reed, A. W. (1992). Maori place names. Reed Books.
  8. "Uretiti Beach, New Zealand". Beach Report. The Weather Network. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  9. "Uretiti Beach at Tip Road". Land Air Water Aotearoa. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  10. "Uretiti Beach Campsite - Waipu, Northland, NZ". Rankers. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  11. "Naturism at Uretiti Beach". Free Beaches NZ Inc. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  12. Hika, Tux (December 2014). "Summer's Hottest Camping Destinations - Uretiti". express Magazine. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  13. Edge, Kristin (13 December 2016). "Fireworks blamed for Northland campground blaze". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  14. Ceramalus v Police, AP No 76/91 (High Court of New Zealand 5 July 1991).
  15. "Camp rules: Uretiti Beach campsite". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  16. "Call for crabbing ban as carcasses litter beach". Stuff. Stuff Limited. 14 January 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  17. "Race tension over Uretiti Beach crab hunting". The New Zealand Herald. 4 January 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  18. "Pregnant fiancee watches helplessly as partner dies at Ruakaka Beach". The New Zealand Herald. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
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