Oreti Beach, Invercargill Overview

The Foveaux Strait Coast in New Zealand consists of three bays - Te Waewae Bay, Oreti Beach and Toestoes Bay. Oreti Beach lies right in the centre of this coast. It is a twenty-six kilometres long stretch of land which is smooth enough for practising and enjoying activities like motorbiking. Burt Munro, a famous motorbiker from New Zealand, used this clear, expansive beach stretch to test and practice his Indian motorbiking and set a new world record in motorbiking.

Oreti Beach wholeheartedly welcomes adventure lovers to satiate their adrenalin rush. Towards the Southern end of Oreti Beach is a point known as Sandy Point. This point is excellent for strolling, mountain biking and horse riding. Oreti Beach also served as a location for the flick “The World’s Fastest Indian.” Oreti Beach is renowned as the coastal highway and one of the few beaches in New Zealand where you are allowed to drive Vehicles. The beach camouflages itself into a playground for kids where they thoroughly enjoy making castles and playing volleyball and hopscotch. There is a dune forest where one can find the rare Totara and Matai. Amongst the native ones, rimu, miro and kahikatea grow here. The forest walks reveal the beauty of the beach in ways more than one.

What to Do

The smooth, expansive stretches of the beach appear to be never-ending which render it suitable for a variety of activities, some of which are mentioned below:

Motorbiking - Oreti beach got its fair share of popularity from motorbiking. From being a location for movies to being a practice ground for ace bikers, the terrain of the beach has a unique advantage which makes it suitable for adventures like motorbiking.
Four-wheel driving - Being one of the only beaches in New Zealand that allow vehicular access, four-wheel driving that appear like safaris are quite famous here.
Horse riding - Many people come to Oreti Beach for practising horse riding. Remember not to visit on a windy day.
Kayaking/canoeing/paddling - Kayaking or canoeing can be done here too. Please do these only when there is a low tide and when there are no sudden drop-offs.
Surfing - Amongst water sports, surfing at Oreti Beach is hugely popular.
Swimming - How can you go to beach and not go swimming? Swimming the favourite recreational activity of visitors. However, care should be taken that in some months, the water is unbearably cold.
Wind-powered vehicles - Oreti Beach is a unique place where you will find wind-powered vehicles too.
Windsurfing - For people who are high on adrenaline and can go the extra mile, windsurfing is the thing to do at the Oreti Beach. With an unparalleled thrill, windsurfing at Oreti Beach is an experience of a lifetime.
Cart Racing - Still want more? Go-karting and cart racing are options that you might want to consider.

Facilities

At the Oreti Beach, there is ample parking. This enables you to park near the entrance - as close as possible.
Proper washroom facility is available.
Lifeguards are always on duty.

Tips

Large breaking waves hit the Oreti Beach quite often and are a potential hazard.
Strong currents are also very dangerous. Care must be taken while swimming and canoeing.
Sudden drop-offs should be considered before going for water activities.
Oreti Beach is a patrolled beach. There are flags marking safe areas to swim. It is recommended to swims between the flags.
It is rumoured that Oreti Beach is prone to shark attacks. Take sufficient care before getting into the water.
Do not park your car on soft sand as you run the risk of getting stuck.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Oreti Beach is during the warm and sunny autumn months. The autumn months in New Zealand are March, April and May.
One should avoid going to Oreti Beach on a windy day.
Winter months in New Zealand like June and July are also not preferable as, during these months, a lot of debris gets collected on the beach which is not an appealing sight.
Also, go at a time when there is a low tide. Check the weather before heading to this beach.

How To Reach Oreti Beach

Oreti Beach lies ten kilometres to the west of Invercargill. It is near the Riverton town and is surrounded by the Aparima River and the Oreti River Estuary. The most convenient and easiest way to reach Oreti Beach is through Invercargill. Hire a cab from Invercargill that will transport you to the beach in ten minutes.