  Piha is a very special place indeed. It is a small community with just a couple of old-fashioned dairies (convenience stores) selling basics like bread and ice cream.
The shop by the beach does the best fish n chips ever and the Surf Club restaurant cooks a great steak. The licensing is such that you have to sign in as a guest when you go there and that about sums Piha up - anyone is free to go but it really is a private world unto itself.
With a stunning, rugged beach framed by cliffs and spilt by the unusual land mass known as Lion Rock, Piha is an alternative playground for the young and old alike although people risk swimming in the extreme surf at their peril. Housing varies hugely from the upmarket to the very basic and there's a camping ground in the center. Home to artists, bums and a few semi-retired residents, music and drugs often play a central role in recreational activities, particularly for the electronically inclined.
Auckland itself is currently in the grips of an amphetamine crisis with many people smoking a supposedly pure form known as P. However, it aint that pure and Piha has suffered more than its fair share of casualities considering the small populaton. There are other beautiful beaches nearby, accessible by foot or car, but no place quite matches its vibe. 
