Reports of assaults, speeding and littering are marring one of the country's top beaches.
Ruakaka locals say Uretiti Beach is being ruined by crab fishermen, and they're sick of cleaning up their mess.
Currently Ureititi Beach still looks picture-perfect, but there's concerns this pristine playground is being polluted.
"Food wrappers, nappies, shitty toilet paper, everything," says Ruakaka resident Samuel Town.
"And then the carcasses, the carcasses they've used. Afterwards they throw in the dunes... last year we had some pigs' heads washing up in the tide."
He says he's even found human faeces.
"They're using it as their toilet. There's rare birds there and nesting and everything, you shouldn't even be up there, let alone using it as a toilet, it's disgusting."
Those patrolling the area say drivers are ignoring the 30km/h speed limit along the beach.
"I find even that is too fast for the amount of people who are using the beach today. There's a lot of young children and a lot of [the drivers] are whizzing past and just missing the children," Uretiti Beach ambassador Mike Theodore says.
"Someone's either going to get run over here with the speed that they do, or someone's going to lose the plot," Mr Town agrees.
A man is appearing in court in Whangārei later this month after a scuffle last week. He's charged with possessing an offensive weapon.
These incidents are trashing Uretiti's reputation, but residents say this stretch of paradise is just too good to wipe out.
"This is a clean, beautiful beach it doesn't need to be destroyed," Mr Town says.
Newshub.
