Top New Zealand Beaches
The Best Kiwi Beaches...
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Waimarama Beach // North Island
Brian Taylor Part of Hawke's Bay on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, the sands of Waimarama Beach are backed by grassy dunes and attractive beach dwellings. One over from Ocean Beach, Waimarama is best known as a surfing destination thanks to left and right hand beach and reef breaks. The best of the waves are generally to be had around mid-tide when they are… read more »
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Matai Bay // North Island
itravelNZ® (Natalia Volna) Matai Bay is a remote northern beach well worth the journey, boasting soft white sand and stunning clear waters. Lying on a large circular inlet of the Pacific on New Zealand's east coast, it offers some protection from the might of the ocean, making swimming, diving, fishing and boating all popular pastime activities for those who visit.
Those who step beyond the native Pohutukawa trees that… read more »
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Tairua Beach // Coromandel Peninsula
russellstreet Located on State Highway 25a on the opposite side of the bay from Pauanui, Tairua Beach is one of the most centrally-located beaches found on the North Island's epic Coromandel Peninsula, making it a great base for exploring the region as well as a beach destination of some standing in its own right.
Tairua Beach sits at the base of the twin peaked Mount Paku, in… read more »
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Kaiteriteri Beach // Abel Tasman
Jonathan Reid One of South Island's best beaches, Kaiteriteri Beach stuns even hardened travellers with its combination of orange-yellow sand, curving crescent shape, and surrounding tree-clad promontories.
Just 15 minutes from Motueka, its usually extremely calm waters act as a gateway to Abel Tasman National Park, with boats, water taxis and even sea kayaking outfits all providing the means for visitors to explore this national treasure for themselves.
As… read more »
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Bathing Beach // Stewart Island
© Kristina D.C. Hoeppner / CC BY -
Baylys Beach // North Island
© David Broad / CC BY -
Big Manly Beach // North Island
© russellstreet / CC BY -
Boulder Beach // South Island
© Stug.stug / CC BY -
Brendan Beach // North Island
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Browns Bay // North Island
© Sids1 / CC BY -
Buffalo Beach // Coromandel Peninsula
Buffalo Beach can be found forming the coastline to the town of Whitianga in Mercury Bay. This V-shaped inlet lies on the eastern side of the famed Coromandel Peninsula of New Zealand's North Island.
Intimately connected with the first European explorations of the country, it was here that Captain Cook took his measurements of the transit of the planet Mercury across the face of the… read more »
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Bushy Beach // South Island
© Enrique Fernández / CC BY -
Butterfield Beach // Stewart Island
© Kristina D.C. Hoeppner / CC BY -
Cheltenham Beach // North Island
© Michal Klajban / CC BY Cheltenham Beach is the most popular in the Devonport suburb of Auckland. It is a good-sized sandy beach bordered by the North Head Historic Reserve to the south. Just offshore is the striking form of Rangitoto Island, a 260 m (850 ft) high volcanic cone which only formed around 600 years ago.
It is well worth a visit to the North Head Historic Reserve, if… read more »
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Coopers Beach // North Island
© Nz nature lover / CC BY