Location & Activities

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.

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. You can visit Hot Water Beach and join the kayaking trip on the same day. Check out the low tide times here –  Hot Water Beach tide table

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.

Whitianga is a 35 minute drive from Hahei so is a suitable place to base yourself for Coromandel adventures.