Red Beach is the first beach you reach as you drive into the Hibiscus Coast from Downtown Auckland, just south of Ōrewa and minutes from the Northern Motorway exit at Silverdale. At the northern end of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula and facing northeast into Whangaparāoa Bay and the Hauraki Gulf, Red Beach has reliable surf and is around 1 km long. It is patrolled in summer by a long-standing surf lifesaving club, located at the north end of the beach. To the southeast on the Peninsula are Stanmore Bay, Big Manly Beach and Tindalls Beach, all within 10 minutes' drive time.
There are cliffs, topped by houses, at both ends of the beach and a modest stream below the surf lifesaving club. At low tide, wide rock platforms are exposed below the cliffs, and you can walk south to Puawai Bay and Whale Cove, also accessible from Glenelg Reserve on Glenelg Road. Take care as the rocks are very smooth and may be very slippery when wet.
The beach is named for its reddish-tinged sand and cliffs, which reflect the iron-stained rocks of the Waitematā Group geological formation that underlie the region. Orange to red rocks are common around the region, but Red Beach stands out with its large amount of deep orange-stained fossilised shell fragments ground into the sand. At the high tide line, there are mounds of stained shell fragments mixed in with more recent white shell debris. On the grass margin halfway along the beach, there is also a notable big pōhutukawa tree.
Historically, Red Beach was part of the access route for Māori to settlements along the east coast. The area became popular with weekenders and holidaymakers in the mid-1900s, as road connections improved. Today, it's a well-established residential suburb but retains a beachy, laid-back feel with houses along the length of the beach.
Red Beach is just five minutes from the Ōrewa campground, offering a quieter alternative to the longer and busier Ōrewa Beach.
To reach Red Beach from Downtown Auckland, take the Northern Motorway and exit at Silverdale. Follow the Twin Coast Discovery Highway north, then turn southeast onto Red Beach Road, then east onto Bay Street. You can also take Whangaparāoa Road, turning north onto Marellen Drive. The beach is well signposted and has plenty of parking.
