Bethells Beach is a black sand beach in the Waitakere Range. It is located at the mouth of the Waitakere River where it flows into the Tasman Sea. From Auckland, it was a lovely drive with a long winding road through the country side to get to the beach. The beach has been used as a filming location for the U.S. TV series Xena: Warrior Princess and for the Disney movie "Avalon High". The black sand glitters in the sun and the wind was so strong it was a struggle to walk on the beach. Sand was whirling and hitting my face so hard I had to cover my eyes with my hands and try to hold on to my hat. I felt like I was in a sandstorm similar to the dust bowl in the US mid west. It is a strong rugged coast with large dunes and was interesting to see but not my favorite kind of beach. Living in Florida, I prefer white sandy beaches with plenty of seagulls and birds. The surfer club had members there but the beach was mostly deserted. On this particular day, the sand was too hot and winds too strong to enjoy.
