Last updated November 2026
Uretiti Beach is about 5 km of open sand on Bream Bay between Ruakākā and Waipū, facing almost due east.
Most people reach it through the DOC Uretiti Beach Campsite off State Highway 1, and surfcasters fish straight out from the dunes in front of the camp. It is a long, exposed beach with strong currents, and it has a hard safety record: DOC warns that crab fishing in Bream Bay has cost several lives, and people have drowned off Uretiti while setting crab pots.
Uretiti Beach at a Glance
- Location
- Off State Highway 1, 5 km north of Waipū or 34 km south of Whangārei
- Water
- Bream Bay, open east coast (sea)
- Main species
- Kahawai when the schools come along Bream Bay
- Best time
- Calm days with a small swell
- Suits
- Surfcasters and campers; not for wading or swimming out with crab pots
- Access
- Through the DOC campsite road, or the beach access at Tip Road further south
- Camping
- DOC campsite, bookings required, camp hosts all year
- Dogs
- Off-leash from the campsite’s southern boundary to Tip Road; banned south of Tip Road
- Tide port
- Marsden Point (LINZ standard port)
- Cost
- Free to fish; camping fees apply
- Low 2:01 am 0.6 m
- High 8:24 am 2.6 m
- Low 2:22 pm 0.7 m
- High 8:31 pm 2.5 m
Best times today: around 2:01 am, 8:24 am, 2:22 pm and 8:31 pm (2 hours either side of each tide change), and around 1:10 am and 12:46 pm (moon overhead and underfoot).
Moving water around the tide changes usually fishes best. Full 7-day Whangārei tides ›
Predictions only; actual tides vary with weather.
What Makes It Worth the Trip
Uretiti is the middle stretch of Bream Bay, with Ruakākā to the north and the Waipū River mouth to the south. The name dates from before European settlement and is said to refer to a breeding ground of the tītī, or muttonbird. Te Araroa, the trail that runs the length of the country, follows the beach.
Seen from the air, the beach is wide, flat and dead straight, with several lines of breakers over the sandbars on most days. Behind it the dunes rise into Uretiti Scenic Reserve, and a sand track from the campsite crosses them to the beach.
The DOC campsite is large, with about 300 unpowered tent sites. Camp hosts are on site all year, hot showers take $2 coins, and rubbish is pack in, pack out. By custom, naturists use the southern half of the beach, so it is worth knowing before you walk south with a rod. Wasp nests are a hazard in the dunes.
How to Fish Uretiti Beach
Read the beach
With no rocks, points or river mouth to aim at, the bars and gutters are everything here. Watch where the waves break and where they do not: a gap in the white water, or a band of flatter water between two lines of breakers, is a gutter, and that is where to put your bait.
Walk the beach to find one that comes in close, rather than casting at the first open patch of sand. Give it a few hours across a tide change rather than sitting through the slack.
What to catch and what to use
- Kahawai: when the schools move through Bream Bay they come past Uretiti too. Watch for diving birds, then spin a metal lure through the surf or fish a strip of fresh bait.
- Other fish: before you set up, ask at a tackle shop in Whangārei what surfcasters have been catching on Bream Bay recently.
Fishing from the campsite
The camp gates and barrier arms are locked from 9pm to 7am, so plan dawn and night sessions around that if you are parked inside. Take all your bait home: carcasses left on the sand after crab fishing are a known problem here.
Getting There and Facilities
- Driving: take State Highway 1 to the signposted turn, 5 km north of Waipū or 34 km south of Whangārei, and follow the road to the beach and camp.
- Camping: book online before you arrive; no sites are kept for walk-ins, and same-day bookings close at 8pm. Fees were $18 per adult and $9 per child a night when we checked in October 2026, with a 3-night minimum over New Year.
- Camp office: open 8:30am to 9pm.
- Vehicles: DOC notes you can no longer drive on the beach in some places here. Check the signs and the Whangārei District Council’s Vehicles on Beaches Bylaw before taking a vehicle onto the sand.
- Further north: for the river mouth fishing at the top of Bream Bay, see our Ruakākā Beach fishing guide.
- More about the beach: for camping and the beach itself, see our Uretiti Beach guide.
Rules and Safety
- Check MPI’s Auckland and Kermadec rules before you go: Uretiti is in Auckland East. There is no licence for sea fishing.
- Crab pots kill people here. On Christmas Day 2014 a 25-year-old Auckland man drowned off Uretiti while his group was setting crab pots, and police said at least eight people got into trouble off the beach in 24 hours, most of them crabbing. On Christmas Day 2019 a crab fisherman died off Uretiti; when lifeguards arrived, all they could see were his pots behind 1.5 m waves. Never swim, wade or paddle out through the surf to set or check pots.
- Currents: DOC warns that Bream Bay has strong currents and rips. For a swim, DOC recommends the lifeguard-patrolled section of beach beside Ruakākā rather than here.
- Dogs: the Whangārei District Council allows dogs off-leash all year from the campsite’s southern boundary south to the Tip Road access, but south of Tip Road, all the way down to Waipū Cove, dogs are banned at all times.
- Wasps: watch for nests in the dunes and around the campsite.
Useful Links
DOC: Uretiti Beach Campsite: bookings, fees, gate hours and safety warnings.
MPI Auckland and Kermadec fishing rules: limits and any closures for Bream Bay.
Whangārei District Council: Dogs on beaches: off-leash areas and dog bans on Bream Bay.
Common Questions
Where is Uretiti Beach?
On Bream Bay between Ruakākā and Waipū. The signposted turn is on State Highway 1, 5 km north of Waipū or 34 km south of Whangārei.
What can you catch at Uretiti Beach?
Kahawai come past when the schools are moving along Bream Bay. For anything else, a tackle shop in Whangārei will know what surfcasters have been landing.
Is crab potting dangerous at Uretiti?
Yes. DOC warns that several people have died crab fishing in Bream Bay, and people have drowned off Uretiti setting pots. Never go out through the surf to set or check them.
Can I fish at night from the campsite?
Yes, but the camp gates are locked from 9pm to 7am, so plan around that if your vehicle is inside.
Can I drive on the beach?
Not everywhere. DOC says driving is no longer allowed in some places here. Check the signs and the council’s bylaw first.
Can I take my dog?
Dogs can be off-leash from the campsite’s southern boundary to Tip Road. South of Tip Road they are banned at all times.
Do I need to book the campsite?
Yes. All stays must be booked online before you arrive.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Sources and data notes 1
- Tides today: Tide predictions: LINZ (CC BY 3.0 NZ).