New Zealand is of course a volcanic archipelago so it tends to have black-brown sand beaches with a high proportion of feldspar, magnetite, organics, or even shell (carbonaceous) grit. Having said that there is a significant number of white sand beaches, particularly in the Bay of Plenty and Canterbury Plains.I like the black sand beaches because you tend not to get grit/sand blown in your face, which is important in a country with strong winds. Also I figure that black sand absorbs more radiation from the sand than silica. It might just keep you warmer if the wind chill is running beach-wise. Yeh, a chance in hell of that.
The problem of course in NZ is the cold climate. You really need a wetsuit to enjoy the beach. This photo was taken at midday on a particularly nice day, in early September near Napier. If I was wet it would be freezing. Mind you its probably pleasant Nov-March in the North Island. The west coast (say Wellington-Wanganui-New Plymouth coast) is colder because its windy, and so in these areas, and on the South Island, the swimming season is shorter.
If you are a beach person, I recommend East Coast Australia, anywhere from Sydney to the Gold Coast. I lived in Port Macquarie, and grew up in Sydney, and the beach season is far longer.
The problem of course in NZ is the cold climate. You really need a wetsuit to enjoy the beach. This photo was taken at midday on a particularly nice day, in early September near Napier. If I was wet it would be freezing. Mind you its probably pleasant Nov-March in the North Island. The west coast (say Wellington-Wanganui-New Plymouth coast) is colder because its windy, and so in these areas, and on the South Island, the swimming season is shorter.
If you are a beach person, I recommend East Coast Australia, anywhere from Sydney to the Gold Coast. I lived in Port Macquarie, and grew up in Sydney, and the beach season is far longer.
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