He's right. Each of us have a "best beach" - it's a subjective, personal thing. And we like to think our best beach is our own wee secret.
The public was asked to nominate their best beaches, and in doing so was asked to consider things like local amenities - toilets, food vendors and parking; family friendliness (are there playgrounds?); "green credentials" (water and sand quality); and the X-factor (is it secret or hidden?).
My favourite beaches in Whangarei are Kauri Mountain Beach and Whale Bay.
Both are ever so slightly remote, with varying degrees of access difficulty.
In peak times at summer, there is still plenty of space at Kauri Mountain.
Get to Whale Bay early enough, and you might just stake a claim in the shade of a pohutukawa, although be prepared for someone to plonk down a metre or two away, and for a boat worth as much your house to swing by.
Then there are the beaches we don't know the names of, that reward you with solitude after a hike across paddocks or rocks. So what are the 10 beaches shortlisted from the public vote?
They are:
• Castlepoint, Wairarapa
• Hahei, Coromandel
• Kaiteriteri, Tasman
• Maitai Bay, Northland
• Matapouri, Northland
• New Chums, Coromandel
• Opito Bay, Coromandel
• Taupo Bay, Northland
• Te Arai, Auckland
• Whangamata, Coromandel
Maitai Bay is profiled today on our page 5, and at the end of the month, public vote will determine New Zealand's Best Beach.
To vote go to www.nzherald.co.nz or www.northernadvocate.co.nz