After surfing the sand dunes, our driver turns INTO the nearby river and onto Ninety Mile Beach.

Check out this dramatic footage. For a minute there it looks like we’re headed to Australia:

The beach is really closer to 55 miles in length, but the 90 mile name stuck a long time ago after a local estimated it to be “about 90 miles” in length whenever someone asked.

Ninety Mile Beach is a legal highway with a speed limit, although no signs are posted anywhere. There are three entrance and exit points along this stretch of sand.

Enjoy this collage of photos from our time on Ninety Mile Beach!

On our way back to Paihia we stop briefly at a Kauri tree gallery which sells expensive furniture made of this special wood.

Our last stop is at Mangonui Fish Shop for their famous fish ‘n chips.

I’ve had my fair share of fish ‘n chips over the years and I can confidently say this is among the best I’ve ever had. I ate it for lunch the next day in Pahia and it was equally good — something about the quality of the fresh fish up here in Bay of Islands and the perfect ratio of fry to fish.

I highly recommend this day trip to anyone in the Bay of Islands area. In one day we saw the Cape Reigna lighthouse, surfed on sand dunes, drove on Ninety Mile Beach, and stopped at a handful of other attractions. Totally worth it.