About Midway Beach Midway Beach is a popular swimming and surf beach.? Midway surf lifesaving club patrol the beach in summer with swim between the flag areas. History Midway Beach and to a greater extent the Waikanae Beach foreshore is historically significant, the site represents the first ?meeting place? of the Maori and Pakeha cultures in October 1769. ?The various land parcels that make up what is now the Midway Beach Reserve were gifted to the Council over a number of decades. The Midway Surf Club is a prominent building within the reserve. It was officially opened on 24 October 1965, and is considered one of the best competitors in the surf life saving field in New Zealand.