New Zealand is an island nation. Comprising of three main islands, the North Island, the South Island, and Stewart Island, but a number of smaller offshore islands are also included. The Chatham, Kermadec, Campbell, Antipodes, Bounty & Auckland Islands. The large coastline, almost 15,000 kilometres long, is possible because it is very irregular and indented. The coastline is packed with deep coves, bays, sheltered harbours, long deep sounds, and steep fiords.
North Island
The best beaches for swimming can mainly be found on the East coast of both main islands, and are usually better the further North you go. They range from white silicon sand to sea shell, in beautiful inner harbour locations to long open coastal surf beaches. The West Coasts of both islands are rugged and have many cliffs, but there are still suitable swimming and bathing beaches here. Iron sand beaches (black sand) are also common along the North Island's West Coast. The unusual black colour is the result of nearby volcanic eruptions.
Northland
Ninety Mile Beach
Ninety Mile Beach is the fabled strip of sand that stretches from Ahipara to Scott Point, five kilometres south of Cape Maria van Diemen. Truth be told, it is actually 88 kilometres long.
This beach is officially a highway, but is really only suitable for 4WD vehicles. Rental companies won’t allow their cars on the sand, mostly for safety reasons. The easy way to drive along the beach is to catch a coach tour from Kaitaia.
Beach activities range from surf casting and swimming to body boarding down the sand dunes. A special treat is digging for Tuatua (a native shellfish) in the sand at low tide. Flanking the beach is the Aupouri Forest, which provides a green escape from the hot sun.
Once a year, usually during the last week of February, 90 Mile Beach hosts a five day fishing competition. Hundreds of anglers surf cast from the beach, hoping to catch the biggest snapper.
Ahipara
Ahipara is at the southern end of 90 Mile Beach. It’s a wonderful place to watch the sunset and it has one of the best left hand surf breaks in New Zealand. This unspoiled sandy beach is also popular for surf casting, land yachting and shellfish gathering. You can learn to do the ‘Tuatua Twist’, which involves standing in the water at low tide and twisting your feet in the sand until you feel the telltale hard edges of tuatua. These shellfish are delicious made into fritters or simply steamed open.
Shipwreck Bay, to the left of the township, is aptly named. At low tide some of the wrecks are still visible. Above Shipwreck Bay is the Ahipara Gumfields Historic Reserve, where you can see relics from the kauri gum digging days and remnants of ancient kauri forests. In the late 1800s the gum fields supported two thousand people, three hotels and numerous shops. Bullock teams carted the gum to waiting ships at Shipwreck Bay.
Mangonui / Coopers Beach
The fishing village of Mangonui is the main centre of Doubtless Bay. Once a busy whaling and trading town, Mangonui has a collection of charming 150-year-old buildings that now house cafés, art and craft shops and the famous fish and chips shop. A three-kilometre walk around the village takes in 18 heritage buildings. There are also walks to picturesque Mill Bay and the site of Rangikapiti Pa, an ancient Maori fort with commanding views. Sailing, fishing and dive trips operate from Mangonui Harbour. To the west of the village are Coopers Beach, Cable Bay and Taipa. Coopers Beach enjoys some of New Zealand's highest sunshine hours. One of the few New Zealand beaches to be fringed by the pohutukawa - the NZ Christmas tree which provides a spectacular display of luxuriant red flowers during the peak holiday season. Safe family swimming in a sheltered bay.
Matauri Bay
A golden sandy beach looking out to the Cavalli Islands. This area is the final resting-place of the ill-fated Greenpeace flagship, the Rainbow Warrior. Now home to reef fishes, it is known world-wide as a spectacular diving spot. Matauri Bay is also popular for activities such as horse trails, beachfront camping, safe swimming, and jet skiing.
Paihia in the Bay Of Islands
Paihia is known as the jewel of the magnificent Bay of Islands. With shimmering safe waters and superb beaches Paihia is a good place to be based for your Bay of Islands experience. Paihia is the base for countless excursions around the bay or North to Cape Reinga. It is from Paihia that you join the cruise to the world famous ‘Hole in the Rock’.
Matapouri and Whale Bay
Two of the finest beaches in the country. Both located on the Tutukaka Coast. Only half an hour north-east of Whangarei, Tutukaka is the gateway to the Poor Knights Islands marine reserve. Whale Bay is an idyllic spot accessible only by foot (five minutes). Sandy Bay is the venue for NZ surf championships.
Auckland
Auckland’s West Coast Beaches
Along the western edge of Auckland, from the Manukau Harbour north to the Kaipara Harbour, ancient volcanic ranges covered in rainforest rise steeply from the Tasman Sea. Their time-weathered cliffs are interrupted by river valleys ending in long, black sand beaches. The thundering ocean swells break well off the beach and reform several times to finally slide up the sand. Whatipu, Karekare, Piha, Bethells and Muriwai beaches have a remote, untamed beauty that's good for the soul.
Whatipu is at the northern head of the entrance to the Manukau Harbour. Powerful currents cross the sand bars to meet the long ocean swells. Many early ships were lost here when they strayed from the deeper channel. A native forest walk through the ranges returns along this beach with its hill-sized sand dunes, sun-dried driftwood and a cave once used as a ballroom.
At Karekare, three streams from a forest valley converge and descend to the beach. There are several forest walks in the area. An easy track leads to the Karekare Falls, which tumble six metres into a beautiful opal pool. The broad, firm beach is ideal for walking or running along the water's edge. Karekare was used in the film "The Piano".
Piha is popular with experienced surfers. Lion Rock, a small island, stands in the middle of the beach offering panoramic views to those who climb the 70 metre track to the top.
Bethells (Te Henga) is smaller, and has a cosier feeling, than the other beaches. The sand begins well back from the surf and there is a shallow lagoon before the river reaches the sea. A walking track crosses the northern headland to secluded O'Neill Bay, a favourite with surfers.
Muriwai is a regional park with cliff top trails to a gannet colony near the car park at its southern end. The beach runs 60 kilometres north to the Kaipara Harbour, interrupted only by streams and rivers. This is a great place to stretch your legs and overdose on fresh ocean air.
Visitors to the west coast beaches need to be aware that the powerful surf creates changing undertows and rips, but you can swim safely where there are surf patrol flags. There are camp sites at most of the beaches.
Auckland City Beaches
Tamaki Drive, the scenic waterfront route around Auckland's eastern bays, has a dedicated cycle lane and is also popular with walkers, runners and skaters. Kayaking is another way to make the journey. Peaceful views across the harbour to the volcanic island Rangitoto accompany you all the way.
The premier beach along this route is Mission Bay, where you'll find white sand and an extensive grassed area ideal for throwing a frisbee, kicking a ball or simply snoozing under one of the large pohutukawa trees. Across the road from the park is a huge selection of cafes and food outlets. A walking track leads up the western headland to Bastion Point - a well maintained park reserve. Here you can enjoy panoramic views of the harbour and islands, explore remnants of World War II defence structures or stroll through the gardens of the memorial to a visionary New Zealand Prime Minister, Michael Joseph Savage.
The next sandy beach is Kohimarama, which is quieter with fewer cafes. It is perhaps best known for its small-boat yacht club, where many of New Zealand's world champion sailors first honed their skills.
The seaside village of Saint Heliers provides the backdrop for Tamaki Drive's final beach. Behind the waterfront cafes, a collection of small local shops offers the option of a little idle retail therapy.
Auckland’s North Shore Beaches
The suburbs of Auckland’s North Shore have a sunny seaside flavour. From Cheltenham to Torbay, there are more than ten attractive sandy beaches for sunbathing, walking and swimming.
Many of New Zealand’s successful international sailors began their careers as youngsters at North Shore yacht clubs. You’ll see white triangles of sail decorating the bays on a breezy day. You’ll also notice kayakers touring the coastline, rounding the tall sandstone headlands between one beach and the next. Offshore, the tree-covered volcanic cone of Rangitoto Island provides a uniquely Auckland backdrop and a fascinating destination for more experienced paddlers and sailors.
When easterly winds blow onshore, a swell develops across the outer Hauraki Gulf bringing surf to these normally tranquil beaches. Our come the wave lovers - surfers, boogie boarders, kite surfers and wind surfers all provide hours of entertainment for onlookers.
South of Auckland
Raglan
The surf town of Raglan is relaxed and arty. Watched over by Mount Karioi, the colourful community goes about the business of surfing, creating artworks and enjoying the fantastic coastal environment. Manu Bay to the west is world famous for its perfect left-hand break; two kilometres further on is Whale Bay, known for its terrific tubes. For those who don’t surf (or don’t want to take surfing lessons) there are safe swimming beaches, hiking tracks and kayaks for hire. Or follow the arts and crafts trail to meet some of the local "creatives". Expect great cafés and all kinds of accommodation – from upmarket lodges to basic backpackers.
The Coromandel – East Coast
Tairua/Pauanui
Tairua has an attractive harbour and white sand beaches. Paku, an extinct volcanic cone, is the area’s most memorable landscape feature. It can be climbed from Paku Drive. For a small settlement, Tairua has an excellent range of restaurants and cafés; accommodation is also plentiful, although it pays to book ahead. Pauanui is across the harbour from Tairua, or 25 minutes by road. It’s a purpose-built holiday community with a residential canal development. Pauanui has a white sand surf beach that’s ideal for swimming. Amenities include restaurants, holiday homes for rent, a luxury hotel, a golf resort, B&Bs, motels and a campground holiday park.
Whangamata
The attractive combination of sand, surf and native forest makes Whangamata a popular destination for summer holidays. Find a spot on the four kilometre ocean beach or swim in the safe waters of the harbour. There are two golf courses in the area and plenty of charter boats waiting to take you diving or game fishing. Just behind the town, the Coromandel Forest Park is a place for hiking, mountain biking and hunting. The Wentworth Falls walk is particularly lovely. Whangamata has numerous cafés, restaurants, motels and beach cottages. Arts and crafts shops provide interesting shopping opportunities.
Hot Water Beach
Naturally heated mineral water bubbles up from deep within the earth to emerge through the sand at the appropriately named Hot Water Beach.
Near the rocks at the southern end of the beach, you can dig your own spa pool in the sand - start digging two hours either side of low tide. It's a strange but very pleasant feeling to be lying in a pool of hot water just metres from the comparatively cold sea.
If you have a suitable digging implement, bring it with you. Otherwise you may be able to hire a spade from the local general store.
From the hot water area, the long sandy beach stretches north and curves east under a headland. Here you’ll find sheltered and secluded spots for quiet, sleepy sunbathing.
For surfers, Hot Water Beach has good beach breaks in moderate easterly swells. However the presence of strong undertows means this beach is often dangerous for swimming.
Bay of Plenty
Mount Maunganui Beach
The Mount" is the colloquial name for Mount Maunganui, a beach town that occupies a peninsula at the southern end of Tauranga Harbour. The peninsula is actually a huge sandbar, with a sheltered bay on the inner harbour side and a magnificent surf beach on the ocean side. At the very tip of the peninsula is a dormant volcano -Mauao - which rises to 230 metres above sea level. There's a choice of tracks leading to the summit, some more challenging than others. Huge views of the harbour, beach and Pacific Ocean make the effort totally worthwhile.
For decades New Zealanders have been holidaying at the Mount. It's a place for surfing, fishing, beach combing and lying around on the sand. The glorious surf beach is patrolled by lifeguards throughout the summer and by volunteers for the rest of the year. The busiest section of the beach is close to Mauao; if you walk eastward toward Papamoa you'll find fewer people and more sand to call your own. The beach's reputation as a surfing mecca recently moved up a level with the installation of an artificial reef that produces consistently perfect waves. The reef is located 250m offshore and sits 0.4m below the lowest tide level, so it's not visible above water. It has been designed to produce fast peeling, tubing, right-hand and left-hand waves, suitable for competent and experienced surfers.
As befits a resort town by the sea, the Mount has a lively array of cafés, restaurants and shops. You'll also find a variety of ways to enjoy the environment - big game fishing, dolphin tours, blo-karting and dive trips are easy to organise.
Ohope Beach and Ohiwa Harbour
Ohiwa Harbour and Ohope Beach are separated by a giant sand spit that supports the beach town of Ohope. While this area has immediate appeal for anybody who loves beaches, it's also a popular destination for those who are into "birding".
In spring, migrations bring large numbers of wading birds to New Zealand from their arctic breeding grounds. Others migrate between the North and South Islands. Ohiwa Harbour is a bird watching mecca, but you'll need a good pair of binoculars and a bird book to assist with identification.
Wellington
Haitaitai Beach
Located on Wellington's eastern outskirts, a popular secluded beach, ideal for fishing swimming & yachting. Spectacular views and a diverse range of walking trails can be found around the bay.
Lyall Bay
A popular location for swimming, boogie boarding, surfing & swimming. There is a children's playground on the waterfront, & dogs are allowed to run free in their special zone.
Oriental Bay
Wellington's favourite Beach & Waterfront walk.The ideal place for a relaxing day close to the city. A great place to take the children for sand castle building on the beautiful Golden sand.
South Island
The best beaches for swimming are on the East coast of the South Island. The West Coast is are rugged and has many cliffs.
Abel Tasman
Marahau
Marahau guards the eastern entrance to the Abel Tasman National Park. Here you can book water taxis, hire kayaks or set off on the Coastal Track. Marahau has a long sweeping, golden sand beach beach offering safe swimming. For a memorable meal, make yourself comfortable at the local café – it has grand views of the beach and the national park.
Kaiteriteri
Kaiteriteri is arguably the best beach in the South Island. Clear blue water & golden sand. Just 13 kms from Motueka & 5 kms from Marahau. From here you can kayak around the many coves and lagoons providing plenty of interesting nooks and crannies to explore.
Dunedin
St Clair Beach
Dunedin has many beautiful beaches scattered along its ocean coastline and around the Otago Harbour. Most are only a few minutes drive from the central city.
Saint Clair, the most popular city beach, is a renowned surfing location. A heated salt water outdoor swimming pool, located at the southern end of the long sweeping beach, is open over the summer period.
Along the promenade is a choice of restaurants and bars catering for every occasion from a quiet morning coffee while you gaze to the horizon, to a lively night out in a fantastic seaside setting.
Saint Clair, like most city seaside suburbs, has always been a wealthy area. Many fine historic homes can be seen along the waterfront or on the wooded slopes of Forbury Hill.
Tunnel Beach
For centuries the great southern ocean and its salt-laden wind have sculpted the sandstone coastline south of Dunedin. The outcome is a line of high cliffs, arches and headlands that provide endless vantage points for breathtaking views as the ocean continues its relentless artistry.
Tunnel Beach, just two kilometres south of Dunedin, draws its name from a passage that was hand carved in the 1870s through a rock promontory to allow access to a secluded and sheltered beach at the base of the cliffs.
The Tunnel Beach Walkway is an easy one hour return walk - although there's obviously a bit of a climb involved. The walk is at its best around low tide.
Invercargill
Oreti Beach and Sandy Point
Ten kilometres west of Invercargill, Oreti Beach was a key location for the film 'The World's Fastest Indian', which tells the story of Southland's motorcycling hero Burt Munro. At around 26 kilometres in length, the beach provided Munro with a testing and racing site for his modified Indian motorcycle. In February 1957 Munro set a New Zealand Open Beach record of 131.38 mph at Oreti Beach; in 1975 he raised this to 136 mph.
At the southern end of Oreti Beach is Sandy Point, a natural playground for walking, mountain biking and horse riding. In geological terms, Sandy Point is very young. The peninsula of sand, gravel and water-borne silt probably appeared some 4000-5000 years ago, when sea levels were higher.
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