Natural charm and a magnet for climbers

As the name implies, the main attraction at Long Beach is ... a beach. But there is more to the seaside hamlet than that, Mike Houlahan finds.

When Long Beach was first subdivided, in 1922, a section at the sleepy coastal retreat would have set you back a £1 deposit.

It takes a bit more to buy in Long Beach today ... but you can always rent.

And plenty of people do — as well as having pristine sand, Long Beach is also the site of some of the best rock-climbing sites in New Zealand.

There are just 100 houses in Long Beach, but many of them are cribs, and they do a roaring trade with climbers wanting to test themselves against what the climb.nz website rates as the best crag in Dunedin.

The basalt rock face stands 50m above the aspiring climber. With more than 130 routes, between grades 11 and 27, Long Beach ‘‘has all the elements you could want with solid rock, height, a good range of grades and only a short walk from the car park’’, climb.nz said.

For those who prefer to walk upon rather than climb up terra firma, Long Beach is also home to a famous cave system. The largest, the Ballroom Cave, is massive and has hosted several parties in its time — some authorised, some not.

But there’s no escaping the beach — all 2.5km of it and rated one of safest swimming beaches around — and the multiplicity of flora and fauna which live on and around it.

Animal lovers can spot blue penguins, sea lions, terns, pukeko, herons, spoonbills and ducks on the beach and in the lagoon, which is planted all around with native trees and shrubs.

A short drive up the hill is the Orokonui Ecosanctuary, adding to the area’s array of natural attractions.

Joy and Charlie Pringle had had a crib at Long Beach for 12 years, before deciding a dozen years ago to buy a section and build a house.

‘‘We have had a 30-35-year relationship with Long Beach — we’ve always loved it,’’ Mrs Pringle said.

‘‘It’s quiet ... you go to the beach and you feel like there’s nobody else around. It’s lovely and wild and peaceful.’’

Very few houses overlook Long Beach, adding to that feeling that no-one is in the vicinity.

‘‘You go for a walk on the beach in the morning and you might meet another local walking their dog but that’s about it,’’ she said.

‘‘It’s a very friendly community, it’s got quite an active Amenities Society — they have a holiday and Christmas programme with activities — and we are very lucky to have the Long Beach Hall, which is hired out quite frequently.’’

Word is getting out about Long Beach’s charms, at least among the sea lion community.

The rare sea mammals were visitors to the beach, but they, like the Pringles, have now set up home permanently.

‘‘In the last three to four years, the sea lions have now started breeding at Long Beach, which is incredibly exciting for us.

‘‘Their pups come up under the pine trees here, and that now seems to be a regular thing they do around Christmas and January-February.’’

Mrs Pringle still works in Dunedin. While winter road conditions can sometimes make that tricky, she loves one of the most scenic commutes Dunedin has to offer.

‘‘People say ‘Oh, all that way’ but it is the most amazing drive,’’ she said.

‘‘You leave Port Chalmers and head over the hill. Those views are a great way to unwind after a day at work ... it’s the most amazing scenic drive.’’

Long Beach

• Maori Name: Warauwerawera.
• Population: About 100.
• Location: 15km northeast of Dunedin, a 30-minute drive via Port Chalmers.
• First Settled: Archaeologists have found some of the earliest traces of human settlement in the South Island at nearby Kaikai Beach; the area was first subdivided in 1922.
• Claims To Fame: Cliffs rated highly by rock climbers; much of the 2006 film Out Of The Blue was filmed at Long Beach.