Karekare Beach

Karekare, New Zealand
Managed by Swim Guide NZ
SafeSwim now uses predictive tools to help protect your health at beach.Click here for model results

Karekare's long black sand beach is a treasured surfing beach. The name comes from Māori and means rough or turbulent surf waves. The area is also very popular for swimmers, fishers and explorers. Rips along this beach can be very unpredictable and swimming is only recommended during patrol hours between the yellow and red flag. Fishers should always have life jackets and a friend or fishing partner. Limited mobility parking, toilets and paths are available.

Movies, television shows, music videos and fashion shoots have been filmed here. The triple Oscar winning movie, The Piano along with the show Xena the Warrior Princess and music videos from Crowded House are just to name a few.

WATER QUALITY
  • Meets water quality standards
  • Current Status
  • This status is based on the latest sample, taken on January 16th, 2019. Swim Guide NZ updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at
For water quality icon legend, click:   
  • Report Pollution
MONITORING FREQUENCY

Karekare Beach is sampled daily from January 1st to December 31st

SOURCE INFORMATION

Beaches in Auckland are monitored by Safeswim, a program which emerged out of a partnership between Auckland Council, Surf Life Saving Northern Region, and Auckland Regional Public Health Service. Safeswim forecasts water quality and real-time public health alerts and safety risks at 84 beaches and 8 freshwater locations around Auckland.

Safeswim uses predictive modelling to provide the public with real-time water quality and safety information. Predictive modelling allows Safeswim to forecast recreational water quality so that bathers and other recreational water users have better access to the current and future status of their beaches. This allows recreational water users to make better, more informed decisions about when and where to get in the water. Water quality predictions are made using statistical modelling. Models include historical and current water quality test results, as well as other environmental factors such as wind, rain, tides, and sewage events like CSOs. Safeswim’s models are updated every 10 minutes, and display results using 3 risk categories:

People are exposed to very low risk of infection from contact with the water. The beach’s water quality doesn’t present an immediate health risk to those in direct contact with it.

People are exposed to a low to moderate risk of infection from contact with the water. This is the minimum acceptable state. The beach’s water quality still meets an acceptable standard for swimming.

People are exposed to a moderate to high risk of infection from contact with the water. The beach’s water quality is considered unsuitable for swimming.

Swim Guide interprets these categories in our pass/fail system as:

Very low risk and low to moderate risk categories receive a GREEN/PASS in Swim Guide.

Moderate to high risk categories receive a RED/FAIL in Swim Guide.

The predictive models use New Zealand’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of the Environment’s Microbiological Water Quality Guidelines for Recreational Water. The Guidelines are:

Marine water : Single sample value > 140 Enterococcus / 100 ml
Freshwater : Single sample value > 260 E.coli / 100 ml

WATER QUALITY GRAPH

Karekare Beach

Karekare, New Zealand
Managed by Swim Guide NZ
WATER QUALITY
  • Meets water quality standards
  • Current Status
  • This status is based on the latest sample, taken on January 16th, 2019. Swim Guide NZ updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at
For water quality icon legend, click:   
SafeSwim now uses predictive tools to help protect your health at beach.Click here for model results

Karekare's long black sand beach is a treasured surfing beach. The name comes from Māori and means rough or turbulent surf waves. The area is also very popular for swimmers, fishers and explorers. Rips along this beach can be very unpredictable and swimming is only recommended during patrol hours between the yellow and red flag. Fishers should always have life jackets and a friend or fishing partner. Limited mobility parking, toilets and paths are available.

Movies, television shows, music videos and fashion shoots have been filmed here. The triple Oscar winning movie, The Piano along with the show Xena the Warrior Princess and music videos from Crowded House are just to name a few.

  • Report Pollution
MONITORING FREQUENCY

Karekare Beach is sampled daily from January 1st to December 31st

SOURCE INFORMATION

Beaches in Auckland are monitored by Safeswim, a program which emerged out of a partnership between Auckland Council, Surf Life Saving Northern Region, and Auckland Regional Public Health Service. Safeswim forecasts water quality and real-time public health alerts and safety risks at 84 beaches and 8 freshwater locations around Auckland.

Safeswim uses predictive modelling to provide the public with real-time water quality and safety information. Predictive modelling allows Safeswim to forecast recreational water quality so that bathers and other recreational water users have better access to the current and future status of their beaches. This allows recreational water users to make better, more informed decisions about when and where to get in the water. Water quality predictions are made using statistical modelling. Models include historical and current water quality test results, as well as other environmental factors such as wind, rain, tides, and sewage events like CSOs. Safeswim’s models are updated every 10 minutes, and display results using 3 risk categories:

People are exposed to very low risk of infection from contact with the water. The beach’s water quality doesn’t present an immediate health risk to those in direct contact with it.

People are exposed to a low to moderate risk of infection from contact with the water. This is the minimum acceptable state. The beach’s water quality still meets an acceptable standard for swimming.

People are exposed to a moderate to high risk of infection from contact with the water. The beach’s water quality is considered unsuitable for swimming.

Swim Guide interprets these categories in our pass/fail system as:

Very low risk and low to moderate risk categories receive a GREEN/PASS in Swim Guide.

Moderate to high risk categories receive a RED/FAIL in Swim Guide.

The predictive models use New Zealand’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of the Environment’s Microbiological Water Quality Guidelines for Recreational Water. The Guidelines are:

Marine water : Single sample value > 140 Enterococcus / 100 ml
Freshwater : Single sample value > 260 E.coli / 100 ml

WATER QUALITY GRAPH



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is supported by
* The RBC Foundation

Swim Guide shares the best information we have at the moment you ask for it. Always obey signs at the beach or advisories from official government agencies. Stay alert and check for other swimming hazards such as dangerous currents and tides. Please report your pollution concerns so Affiliates can help keep other beach-goers safe.

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