Muriwai,is a coastal community located on the west coast of North island. It's a wild, rugged place to visit and we go mostly because it is home to a large colony of gannets, that you can get really close to. And yes, they are smelly at that distance.
The backdrop to the gannets is an unbroken 50 kilometre stretch of beach which extends up the Tasman Sea. The black sand is caused by the iron content from the ancient volcanoes in the area; much like Piha.
Muriwai gets its name from the rock stack 'motutara' - and school trips often come her to see the unique rock formations. In fact, Sophia came with the College for a Beach safety course.
The best time to visit the gannets is between October in February when the chicks hatch. They leave for Australia at 15 weeks old. Most of them don't make it, and then they come back when they are adults, and stay here.
The walkway takes you right to the cliff edge, so that you are only a few feet away, above them!
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