East Beach runs along Rangaunu Bay in Northland. Access from the North is only possible by crossing a small estuary at the end of Hauhora Road which can only be done at or near low tide, access at the southern end is from a carpark at the end of Kaimaumau Road.
Where 90 Mile Beach has a very shallow, wide area to ride the beach, East Beach has a steep camber of around 30 degrees and the width of the ridable sand between the water and the high tide mark can be minimal. When this GPS track was recorded we only had about 1 meter of width to use in some places. The beach itself is 10 meters wide at it’s narrowest but the sand above the high tide mark is extremely soft and very deep and we found it unrideable on medium and large adventure bikes. Like any beach it is important to check tide times before hand to ensure you don’t get stuck or trapped on the beach, or worse.
Contributed by: @eddieb
Track type: Beach
Track composition: Bumpy, Loose, Flat
Slippery when wet?: No
Suitable for bikes <650cc? Intermediate
Suitable for bikes >650cc? Intermediate
River crossings? Yes
This video contains footage of crossing the estuary at the northern end of East Beach in the first 20 seconds.