As with last year's '10 favorites' list, this year's list includes a photo from the northwest coast of New Zealand's North Island - where the beaches have black sand (formed by magnetite). This photograph is of Auckland's beautiful Whatipu Beach, in the late afternoon.
(March 10, 2015. Nikon D5000, 1/250s @ f/9, 18 mm, ISO 200.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whatipu