Franklin's wild west coast Karioitahi Beach offers great opportunity for a wide range of recreational pursuits, as well as the opportunity to escape the city.

Hamilton’s Gap Reserve adjoins the rugged black sand west coast beach, with its wild raging surf and spectacular coastal cliffs.

You need to know when you go that Karioitahi Beach has special provisions to minimise the harm vehicles on the beach can do, both to the beach environment and other beach users.

These rules are no joke – they are there to save lives, and we don’t have to look very far to remember the harm vehicles on beaches can do. Last summer 13 year old Daisy Fernandez died after an unregistered motorbike, being driven without lights by a 15-year-old boy, struck her and her friend on a Northland beach.

All beaches in Franklin are legal roads – if you are too young to drive on a road you are too young to drive on the beach. Vehicles which can’t drive on the road without registration or warrant can’t drive on the beach. All Franklin beaches (excluding the existing 20 kph limit in the 1 km zone at Karioitahi Beach) have a 50kmph speed limit.

Along with these general rules, Karioitahi Beach has some special provisions. These include:

• A pedestrian only ‘safe zone’ along with a 1km zone either side of this that permits only limited activities.
• Vehicles, including motorcycles and quad bikes are prohibited from the sand dunes and must enter/exit the beach through the designated access ways and not cross through the Safe Zone.
• All dogs are prohibited from remaining in the Safe Zone (between 10am – 6pm from Labour weekend to March) but may be taken directly through on a leash.
• Horses must be walked through the 1km zone and remain within 10 metres of the waters edge wherever possible (between 10am – 6pm from Labour weekend to March).

The Beach Control Bylaw can and is enforced by local Police and Council Officers and hefty fines can apply. As the beach is a legal road you can also get stung for breaking any other road rules. the beach environment and other beach users.

You can help keep Karioitahi safe. If you see anyone breaking these rules contact Council with the vehicle registration number and take a photo if you can. Council will follow up every complaint and forward to the Police if appropriate.