Our Favourite Beaches in New Zealand

We’re so lucky that no matter where you are in Aotearoa New Zealand, you’re never far from a beautiful beach.

Sarah Tuck,Editor
Thorne Bay, Auckland

My favourite beach is a local — Thorne Bay on the north shore in Auckland. With my schedule I don’t often get long stretches away out of town, so Thorne Bay is a godsend. Just 14 minutes from home in Ponsonby, and I can be walking down a wee ramp to the (mostly) clear sea. Reminiscent of beaches I have visited in Croatia, I love finding a spot on the hewn stone from where I can look out to sea, watch the goings-on and every year, say a ‘hi-nod’ to the regulars. In the early morning, pet owners swim with their rambunctious dogs, and often in the late afternoons someone will play music on a speaker, to add to the chilled vibe. I particularly love that I can check the tide as the whim takes me, leap in my car and be swimming within 20 minutes. There are three options for your bathing pleasure, and my preference is the beach at the end of O’Neills Ave. One road up the pretty young things gather on the small sandy stretch at the end of Minnehaha Ave, while at the end of Brett Ave there is a small square of grass on which to stretch out with a crossword or two.

Yvonne Lorkin, Drinks Editor
Waimārama Beach, Hawke’s Bay

If my summer allows me to have sand in my ears and salt up my nose, it will definitely have come from Waimārama Beach in Hawke’s Bay. I’ve loved it ever since my mates and I began wagging school and braving the long, hilly, twisty-turny drive out there in a clapped-out Morris Oxford to drink rocket fuel and perve at the surfers. I love watching the old, smoky tractors roar around in circles finding the perfect angle to reverse their boats into the water and then the drama of the boats trying to get safely beyond the waves. It’s a long stretch of white sand split by a creek and a lagoon where my husband and I once caught a bucket of wriggly whitebait. You can walk for miles north, but south becomes a rockpool playground — my favourite place to fossick and find creatures. You’ll find me there with a butterfly net and a bucket even though my children are grown-ups and my husband thinks I’m a lunatic.

Chrisanne Terblanche, Art Director
Piha Beach

I moved to Auckland in 2018 and quickly fell in love with the West Coast, more specifically Piha beach. It was love at first sight. I am unable to explain the calmness that comes over me when we start heading down Piha Road and Lion Rock comes in the view. The black sand and rugged scenery are very different from the white sandy beaches in South Africa but have become one of my favourite things in New Zealand. During the pandemic when the borders were closed, but we were allowed to travel within the country, we spent many weekends in a little Airbnb bach close to the beach. During a very stressful time, weekends there were some of the best I ever had. After a day of sea and sun I can highly recommend stopping at the local RSA for fish and chips and a cold beer — it’s walking distance from the beach. Swimming at Piha can be dangerous, be careful and stick to the designated areas with lifeguards. I also suggest walking up to the Te Waha Point lookout, it’s a moderate walk, takes about an hour to complete and is located at the northern end of the beach.

Bel Bonnor, Commercial Manager
Whale Bay, Tūtūkākā Coast

I was lucky to spend most of my summers on the Tūtūkākā Coast growing up, so almost all of my best beach memories are tied to this area. Once a well-kept secret, Whale Bay still delivers! Just a 15-minute walk down a well-maintained track brings you to a sheltered golden-sand beach with plenty of pōhutukawa for shade. While nearby Sandy Bay is known for its surf, Whale Bay’s waters are super calm and clear. We’ve spotted dolphins and baby stingrays cruising by over the years, and kids will entertain themselves for hours exploring the rock pools at either end of the beach. Once you’ve walked back up to the car park, head to Matapouri Bay Store for an ice cream or fish and chips!

Caitlin Whiteman, Digital Editor
Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty

Mount Maunganui is my childhood home town and will forever be my favourite place to come back to again and again. It’s a gorgeous golden-sand beach with delicious foodie spots within walking distance, a boardwalk that extends through to Omanu, and the classic Mount Mauao Reserve — an extinct volcano that you can climb. My go-to spot for swimming is by Leisure Island, however if you’re a local or a frequent visitor, you will know this is definitely a hotspot in the peak of summer. A gorgeous alternative that is slightly less hectic is Omanu Beach, further down the coast (we’re talking just five minutes).

Síana Clifford, Sub-editor
Otama Beach, The Coromandel

There’s a special place in my heart for the Coromandel, it’s probably my favourite region — so far — in Aotearoa and when I win lotto (positive thinking, right?) that’s where I’ll buy a bach. There’s a gorgeous little beach on the west coast that I’m not ready to divulge yet — unless you want to be a silent investor in my bach ;) — but my fave beach on the eastern side is Otama Bay, Ngātu Hei whenua. You‘ll enjoy spectacular views on the gravel road approach and arrive to golden sands, clear turquoise waters and majestic pōhutukawa trees standing sentry over the serenity. Locals are lucky indeed. At nearby Kūaotunu village you can enjoy epic wood-fired pizzas and other casual bites at Luke‘s Kitchen. And double check the doughnut days at Kua Kawhe, their jam and cream doughnuts are heavenly.

Claire Aldous, Food Editor
Pākiri Beach

From my late teens, my boyfriends all seemed to be surfers and Pākiri Beach holds many happy memories and remains one of my all-time favourite spots on the coast. The white, squeaky sand beach that stretches for a kilometre and the endless bluey-green waves crashing on the shore make it an exceptionally beautiful destination. Pack a picnic and other sunny-day essentials as there are no cafés etc close to the beach, but Whanga Eats café is well worth a stop on your way there.

More beaches to visit:

• New Chums Beach, Whangapoua, Coromandel
• Ōmaha
• Te Hāwere-a-Maki (Goat Island)
• Oneroa, Onetangi and Palm Beach, Waiheke Island
• Ōruawharo (Medlands), Aotea (Great Barrier Island)
• Ōhope, Bay of Plenty
• Kaiteriteri Beach, Nelson Tasman
• Baylys Beach section of Ripiro Beach, 14km west of Dargaville
• Matauri Bay, Northland, 30km north of Kerikeri
• Tomahawk Beach, Dunedin
• St Kilda Beach, Dunedin
• St Clair Beach, Dunedin