North Piha Carpark is the picnic ground at the northern end of Piha, on Piha Road in West Auckland, rated 4.6 by 106 reviewers who single out the wide open space, the beach, the caves and the walks nearby.
Picnic grounds on a wild west-coast beach ask a little more of visitors than a suburban park. Facilities tend to be basic — more than one reviewer notes there are no toilets down this far — so regulars bring their own drinking water and shade, and carry rubbish back out with them. Tide times shape the day, since caves and rock pools that invite exploring at low tide can be cut off as the water rises. The west-coast rips also deserve respect, so keep a close eye on anyone swimming.
For sea caves, black sand and open sky within easy reach of Auckland, this stretch of Piha is a rewarding place to spread a picnic blanket.