Surf: Another popular beach, with some weekend crowds is Muriwai Beach, where shifty peaks rely on the constantly moving sandbars and strong rips for shape. The left point to the south is prone to backwash in front of rocks and many surfers prefer to go round the corner to Maori Bay for better defined peaks along the cliffy bay. Alternatively head north towards Rimmer Rd in a 4WD on the beach highway when it's tiny to maximise size. Environment: Rippy and blown out a lot of the time. Crowds at Maori Beach when it's on, which is often. Good parking, facilities and a big motor park behind the dunes. Gannet and seal colonies attract other predators.