Most New Zealanders have never been to Medlands Beach. This is their loss and, depending on how you look at it, your gain.
Great Barrier Island keeps its best things hidden. You don't stumble across Medlands — you have to want it. You take a ferry or a small plane, drive a few kilometres from the airport, and then you see it: 1.5 kilometres of white sand with nobody on it. No ice cream van. No parking warden. No one at all, really.
It's been this way for a long time. It will probably stay this way. The island isn't set up for crowds — no mains power, no big supermarkets, around 1,100 permanent residents — and that's exactly the point.
What Medlands Beach Is Actually Like
Long. Empty. Facing northeast into the Hauraki Gulf.
The beach runs roughly 1.5 kilometres from end to end. Walking it takes about 40 minutes at a relaxed pace. At low tide, the hard-packed sand is as good for running as anything you'll find in Auckland.
The water is clean, clear, and swimmable for most of the year. There are no flags, no lifeguards, no roped-off swimming zones — just the ocean. The currents are generally gentle in the centre of the bay, but check conditions before taking kids into the shore break.
The sand is white and fine. Not the grey gritty stuff you get on some West Coast beaches — proper white sand, warm underfoot by mid-morning in summer.
At the northern end, a small stream meets the sea. In the middle of the bay sits Memory Rock — a large rock formation you can climb using the natural staircase carved into the stone. From the top, you get a magnificent view of the whole beach. At the southern end, dunes give way to an estuary separating Medlands from Boulder Bay. The estuary is safe for children to play. You'll typically find a handful of locals, a dog or two, and on a good day, not much else.
Surfing Medlands Beach
Medlands is the best surf beach in the Hauraki Gulf. That's not a controversial claim — it's just geography. The northeast-facing bay catches swells that other Hauraki beaches miss, and the sandy bottom produces cleaner waves than the rocky breaks elsewhere on the island.
It works on most swells. South to northeast winds create the best conditions — lefts and rights break across the bay depending on the swell direction. In a decent southeasterly groundswell, the right-hander off the southern end can run for a satisfying distance.
Beginners can find shoulders to learn on. Experienced surfers can find waves worth getting up early for. Boards are available to hire from Claris (6 minutes away) if you didn't pack your own.
In summer, you'll share the lineup with maybe a dozen people on a busy day. In winter, you might have it to yourself.
Swimming and the Beach in Different Seasons
Summer (December–March): Peak season. Water temperature hits around 20–22°C. The bay is calm more often than not. Families, couples, surfers — the beach is as busy as it gets, which by mainland standards still means you have room to breathe.
Autumn (April–May): Often the best time. Crowds thin out, water is still warm from summer, and the light turns golden in a way that makes photographers insufferable. Swell picks up.
Winter (June–August): The locals' favourite. Water is cooler (around 15–17°C), the beach is yours, and on a clear winter's day it's as beautiful as anything the island offers. If you're staying at 175° East in winter, expect to have Medlands almost entirely to yourself.
Spring (September–November): Variable but underrated. Surf is often best in spring. The island is green from winter rain. School holidays haven't started.
Getting to Medlands Beach
From Auckland: fly (Barrier Air or Fly My Sky, ~35 minutes to Claris) or ferry (Sealink, ~4.5 hours to Tryphena, or FRS Gulf Express, faster, seasonal).
From Claris Airport: 6-minute drive down Medlands Road. No taxi rank — organise a rental or ask your accommodation. The road is sealed.
From Tryphena (ferry terminal): 20-minute drive.
From 175° East: 8-minute walk down the hill through native bush. The track starts at the bottom of the property.
What's Nearby
Claris (6 minutes): Grocery store, bottle shop, café, post shop, laundrette. Everything you actually need.
Aotea Brewing (5 minutes on foot): Our neighbour. Zero-waste craft brewery, renewable energy, beer that tastes like it belongs somewhere wild. Walk there after a surf.
Aotea Roast (5 minutes on foot): Next door to the brewery. Off-grid coffee roasted on the island. The flat white situation on Great Barrier Island is, unexpectedly, excellent.
Tryphena (20 minutes): Grocery store, pub, more café options, the main ferry terminal.
Walks Near Medlands
The beach itself is a walk — flat, easy, 40 minutes return from any point. Beyond that:
Aotea Track / Mount Hobson: The island's signature multi-day tramp. Starts near Whangaparapara, crosses the island to Awana Bay. Fit day walkers can tackle the Mount Hobson section (Hirakimata) and return — around 4–5 hours, outstanding views.
Windy Canyon: One of the island's most dramatic short walks. 20-minute walk from the road, volcanic rock formations, views over both coasts. Worth doing even on a short trip.
Kaitoke Hot Springs: A 45-minute walk through bush to natural hot spring pools where a thermal stream meets a cold river. One of those places that sounds too good to be true until you're in it.
Memory Rock: In the middle of Medlands Beach, a large rock formation with a natural staircase carved into the stone. Climb to the top for a magnificent view of the whole beach.
Tramline Track: Historical walk through the remnants of kauri milling — old kauri dams, bush, the ghosts of an industry that shaped the island.
Why People Don't Go
The ferry takes 4.5 hours. The plane is small. There's no Countdown, no traffic lights, patchy cell coverage.
These are the reasons people don't go. These are also the reasons people who go can't stop thinking about it.
Staying at Medlands Beach
175° East has three off-grid houses — Pitokuku, Ruru, and Tree House — all within an 8-minute walk of Medlands Beach. Solar-powered, fully equipped, sleeping 7 to 10 people each.
Pitokuku is the closest to the beach and the largest, sleeping up to 10. Ruru sits higher on the hill with valley views. Tree House is the most elevated and in the bush canopy.
All three are bookable direct — no platform markups, just the rate.