Location
Hahei Beach
Hahei Beach is a quintessential sandy Coromandel Beach fringed with pohutukawa trees. A favourite holiday spot among kiwis, you’re bound to fall in love with its golden sands and calm sea. The offshore islands provide something of a breakwater, making this sheltered beach ideal for swimming, boating and fishing.
The northern end of Hahei Beach marks the eastern boundary of the Te Whanganui A Hei Marine Reserve. This makes Hahei a popular destination for diving, snorkelling and kayaking. Reefs, caves, archways and soft sediments provide the ideal habitat for a variety of plants, fish, molluscs and crustaceans. At the southern end of Hahei beach, the Te Pare historic reserve is the site of an ancient Maori pa.
Cathedral Cove
Arguably one of the most picturesque spots in The Coromandel. The volcanic coastline around Cathedral Cove on the Coromandel Peninsula includes fascinating sea caves, a huge blowhole & beautiful offshore island. From Hahei Beach you can walk to Cathedral Cove, where a naturally formed archway deserves photographic attention.
From the north end of the beach, a one hour walking track leads along the cliff top and then descends to the Cove. Here a gigantic arched cavern passes through a white rock headland to join two secluded coves. The cathedral-like arch gives the whole area an air of grandeur. The beach is sandy with shady pohutukawa trees along the foreshore – a perfect place for a picnic and a swim.
Hot Water Beach
Dig your own hot pool metres from the Pacific Ocean at world-famous Hot Water Beach. Great surf, cafes & art galleries add to this very Kiwi experience. Naturally heated mineral water bubbles up from deep within the earth to emerge through golden 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 two hours either side of low tide (shovels for digging provided for all guests of Hahei Ocean Dream). 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.
Whitianga
Whitianga has been continuously occupied for more than a thousand years… since the tribe of the Maori explorer, Kupe settled here, following his visit sometime around 950 AD.When native forests were being harvested on the peninsula in the 1800s and early 1900s, Whitianga was a timber port. Ships from Europe sailed in to Whitianga’s deepwater harbour to load up with valuable kauri.
Today, the township depends on fishing, farming and tourism for its prosperity. From here you can enjoy beaches, water sports, scenic flights and boat excursions of Mercury Bay. Indulge in great seafood and enjoy forest walks. If you’re in Whitianga during September, don’t miss the Whitianga Oceans Festival – a weekend of indulgence with more than 60 food and wine stalls, seafood cooking demonstrations and competitions including scallop shucking.
