Last updated October 2026
Waitārere Beach is a wide, sandy surf beach on the Horowhenua coast, about 41 kilometres south-west of Palmerston North in a straight line and around 10 minutes’ drive from Levin.
LAWA notes that the beach has plenty of shallow paddling space for children before it slowly drops off into deep water, and the Levin Waitārere Surf Life Saving Club patrols it over the summer months.
Buried in the dunes nearby is the wreck of the Hydrabad, marked by a tall blue post. Horizons Regional Council tests the water every week from November to April, and the beach has a Fair long-term grade on LAWA. That means it is usually suitable for swimming, but best avoided after rain.
Swimming Facts
Before you swim: Tested weekly Nov–Apr by Horizons Regional Council. Stay out for 48 hours after heavy rain. Latest result on LAWA
Today at Waitārere Beach
Sunday 25 OctoberWater quality track record
What the grades mean
Excellent and Good: rarely unsafe for swimming. Fair: usually fine, but avoid swimming after rain. Poor: often unsuitable, especially after rain, so check the latest result first.
Grades use LAWA’s method: the 95th percentile of routine enterococci results over the five summers from 2020/21 to 2024/25, with at least 50 tests (474 per 100 mL from 128 tests).
Practical Information
- Location
- Waitārere Beach, Horowhenua District, between the Manawatū River mouth and Levin
- Distance from Palmerston North
- About 41 km south-west in a straight line; 14 km north-west of Levin and 17 km south-west of Foxton by road
- Water
- Open sea beach on the Tasman Sea, tidal, shelving gradually (nearest tide station: Waitārere Beach)
- Water quality
- Fair (LAWA long-term grade, summers 2020/21 to 2024/25)
- Testing
- Weekly from November to April by Horizons Regional Council
- Patrols
- Levin Waitārere Surf Life Saving Club patrols in summer; check the club or Safeswim for current hours
- Facilities nearby
- Toilets and parking about 400 m from the testing spot; Four Square, takeaways, café and restaurant in the settlement
About Waitārere Beach
Waitārere Beach is a small coastal settlement in the Horowhenua District, on the South Taranaki Bight between the mouth of the Manawatū River and Levin.
Horowhenua District Council calls it one of the best-kept secrets of the North Island’s west coast, a place to go when you want to get away from it all. The beach is wide and sandy, with room for land yachts, surfing and fishing.
The beach’s best-known landmark is a shipwreck. The Hydrabad, a Scottish cargo ship in service from 1865, traded between Australia, England and India before it was driven ashore at Waitārere in a storm in 1878, about 600 metres from where the township is today.
The growing dunes have now almost completely buried it, and LAWA notes that a large blue post marks where it lies.
Fishing is a big part of beach life here. Horowhenua District Council lists kahawai, snapper, gurnard, flounder, sole and groper among the usual catches. The settlement has a Four Square, takeaways, a café and a restaurant, and several parks and reserves, with Waitārere Domain a favourite with families.
The Levin Waitārere Surf Life Saving Club, based on the Waitārere Beach foreshore, keeps watch over swimmers in summer. The club is part of Surf Life Saving New Zealand, moved into a new purpose-built clubhouse in 2023, and was named Capital Coast Club of the Year in 2022 after earlier Rescue of the Year awards.
Swimming and Water Quality at Waitārere Beach
Horizons Regional Council samples the sea at Waitārere Beach every week from November to April, on behalf of public health officers at Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, and posts the results on LAWA. The beach has a Fair LAWA long-term grade, based on 128 routine tests over the summers of 2020/21 to 2024/25.
Across 151 tests between November 2019 and April 2025, 89% were suitable for swimming. A Fair grade means the water is usually fine for swimming but is more likely to be unsuitable after rain, and every summer since 2019/20 has had at least one unsuitable result.
Waitārere has had a swimming closure before. Horizons once posted the beach as no swimming after consistently high enterococci results, and later announced that the beach was back in the green suitable for swimming category and open again for swimming and collecting kai.
Check the latest result on LAWA before you go in, and stay out of the water for at least 48 hours after heavy rain. Horizons advises not swimming within three days of heavy rain, and checking that the water is clean and clear and does not smell odd.
Swim between the flags when the surf club is on patrol. The gently shelving beach is good for paddling, but it drops off into deep water further out, and Horizons reminds beachgoers that rips are a hazard at beaches.
The beach is also used by land yachts and four-wheel motorbikes, so keep an eye out for vehicles on the sand and keep children close.
Horizons checked the site twice for toxic algae (cyanobacteria) in 2021/22 and found none at alert level. Toxic algae is mostly a river problem, where Horizons advises people and animals to stay out if stones are covered in black or dark brown slimy mats.
Dogs are drawn to its smell, especially when mats wash up at the water’s edge, and it can be fatal to them, so if you walk north towards the Manawatū River mouth, keep dogs away from any mats.
Getting There and Facilities
Waitārere Beach is about 14 kilometres north-west of Levin by road, which Horowhenua District Council puts at around a 10-minute drive, and about 17 kilometres south-west of Foxton. The surf club on the foreshore is the place to aim for in summer. Toilets and parking are about 400 metres from the testing spot.
Patrol hours vary from season to season, and Surf Life Saving New Zealand links to Safeswim for the club’s current times. The settlement’s Four Square, takeaways and café are handy for supplies, and the Waitārere Domain is close by for a picnic.
Where to Learn More
LAWA and Horizons Regional Council: the latest “Can I Swim Here?” result, alerts and the long-term grade for the Tasman Sea at Waitārere Beach.
Horowhenua District Council: the council’s guide to Waitārere Beach, its facilities, fishing and surf patrols.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand: contact details and a link to patrol hours for the Levin Waitārere Surf Life Saving Club.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you swim at Waitārere Beach?
Yes. Waitārere Beach is patrolled by the Levin Waitārere Surf Life Saving Club over summer and tested weekly by Horizons. It has a Fair grade, so check LAWA before you swim and stay out for at least 48 hours after heavy rain.
What is the water quality like at Waitārere Beach?
The beach has a Fair LAWA long-term grade, based on 128 routine tests over the summers of 2020/21 to 2024/25. Of 151 tests between November 2019 and April 2025, 89% were suitable for swimming, and results are more likely to be poor after rain.
Is Waitārere Beach patrolled?
Yes, in summer. The Levin Waitārere Surf Life Saving Club patrols from its clubhouse on the foreshore. Hours change each season, so check Safeswim or the club before you go.
Is Waitārere Beach good for children?
LAWA notes plenty of shallow paddling space for children before the beach drops off into deep water. Swim between the flags when the club is on patrol and keep children within reach.
Where is the Hydrabad shipwreck?
The Hydrabad was wrecked at Waitārere in an 1878 storm, about 600 metres from the township. It is now almost completely buried in the dunes, and a large blue post marks the spot.
Can you fish at Waitārere Beach?
Yes. Horowhenua District Council lists kahawai, snapper, gurnard, flounder, sole and groper among common catches. Fish away from swimmers and the patrolled area.
How far is Waitārere Beach from Palmerston North?
Waitārere Beach is about 41 kilometres south-west of Palmerston North in a straight line. By road it is about 14 kilometres from Levin and 17 kilometres from Foxton.
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