KAREKARE BEACH ON AUCKLAND’S WEST Coast is considered one of the world’s finest beaches. The iconic setting was the location for the Oscar-winning film The Piano as well as countless TV commercials. The beach is dominated by a massive rock known as the Watchman and its magnificent timbered valley has remained unchanged since Māori occupation of the pā site above the beach.
The Surf Club was founded in 1935 following the dramatic rescue of a swimmer washed out in one of the treacherous rips and rescued by a sea plane – the first air sea rescue of its kind in the world.
The club has since had a proud history of rescues that are often in
