Only 40 minutes drive from Central Auckland, Piha is a place of tranquil power and beauty, with a long beach of fine black iron-sand, spectacular rugged and historic coastline populated by a small environmentally sensitive community. A mecca for swimmers, surfers and picnickers, Piha is the place where people go to "get away from it all". At the 2001 Census Piha's permanent resident population was 603 people with 261 dwellings. On average 10% of these dwellings change hands per year (not including sections) and as Piha is a popular West Coast beach, numbers of people visiting can rise dramatically over the summer season.