There’s nothing like a beach holiday with the lapping waves, golden sun, and relaxing vibes.
While individuals typically flock to beach hubs like Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, you should add New Zealand to your list of places to visit for a beach holiday.
With around 15,000km of coastline, you’ll love New Zealand’s stunning beaches that are known for their surf breaks, rock formations, and incredible locations. While you’ll enjoy the warm weather that sits between 20 and 30-degree Celsius from December through March, the beaches are also a popular place to visit during the winter due to its breathtaking beauty.
Take your pick from the golden bays of Awaroa beach to the naturally heated waters at the hot water beach. With a range of beaches at your fingertips, you’ll be amazed by the variety of beaches that New Zealand offers. If you’re still not sold on the idea, you’ll want to head to a New Zealand beach after reading the five reasons below.
1. Be Wowed By The Picturesque Views
New Zealand is filled with bountiful nature that offers pristine and impressive scenery. If you’ve been awe-inspired by New Zealand scenery, the beaches will be sure to take your breath away. Be sure to pick up one of your favourite travel cameras to capture all of the great moments.
Head to Awaroa Beach that lies deep in the Abel Tasman National Park. Known as ‘Golden Bay,’ the beach has a stretch of clean, golden sand that sparkles with turquoise waters and beautiful, richly coloured native bush. With its exquisite beauty, it’s no wonder that in 2016, the New Zealanders came together to purchase this island for the country. Since the beach is at the heart of a national park, it can be a little difficult to get to. However, once you’re there, you can take a dip in the crystal-clear waters and be amazed by the grand striking scenery around you.
Cathedral Cove, a beach that’s situated at Coromandel, North Island is a famous beach that’s commonly featured in various social media platforms. You’re able to explore the beautiful rock formations of this beach by kayak or foot. With its spectacularly gorgeous scenery, it’s no wonder that this beach was featured in both music videos and movies.
Another breathtaking beach is a ninety-mile beach – that isn’t ninety miles but 88km. This incredible beach not only has sun-drenched golden sand and an endless ocean view, but it also has massive dunes as you’ve never seen before. You’ll be intrigued by the desert landscape as you see individuals ‘surfing’ down the sand on bodyboards. Don’t forget to stay till sunset to see a lavish, extensive sunset that you’ll certainly remember for years to come.
2. Not Overcrowded With Tourists
The worst beach holiday is when you’re looking to have a relaxing day out and end up having to squeeze on the beach with countless other people. In New Zealand, there are quite a few beaches that are both untouched and significantly less crowded.
At The Caitlins in South Otago, you can take in the stunning, rugged coastline that’s still relatively undiscovered. While it is more difficult to get to than regular beaches and takes you off the grid, you’ll be greeted with a host of beautiful beaches from Porpoise Bay to Curio Bay. If you’re lucky, you might be even able to spot Hector’s dolphins, New Zealand sea lions and yellow-eyed penguins.
Another untouched beach is New Churns Beach at Waikato on the Coromandel Peninsula. It’s also somewhat secluded with no road access to this protected bay. Once you’ve gotten there, however, you’ll be amazed by the beach’s long curve of blonde sand that comes with a backdrop of native bush. The best part? You won’t have to share this with a hoard of people.
3. Unique Landscapes
One might think that beaches only consist of powdery golden sand, rhythmical waves, and stunning sunsets. While it’s certainly not wrong, there are also many beaches in New Zealand that offer up some special landscapes.
At Koekohe beach in Otago, there are a mysterious number of large spherical stones that are partially submerged in the beach. These stones were formed from sea sediment that had hardened and measures up to three meters in diameter. Called the Moeraki boulders, you can jump inside one of these rocks for a photo or leap across them like stepping stones.
The hot water beach in the Coromandel is a gorgeous beach that offers up a special surprise. To enjoy this surprise, you should arrive at least two hours before or after low tide. When it’s low tide, shovel a large hole, and relax in your own jacuzzi as you enjoy nature’s natural bath. This unique beach is a geothermal paradise of hot water and can be enjoyed at any time of the year. You’ll also be soaking in healthy minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Head to Wharariki, and you’ll be in awe of the mighty dunes and jagged rock islands that stand in the ocean. You may spot some seals that are lazing around and take in the gleaming, shimmering sand. While you won’t be able to swim at Wharariki beach, the landscape would be enough to satisfy your beach craving for the day.
4. The Highest Rate of Sunshine Hours in The Country
Yes, there’s a beach in Tasman called Kaiteriteri beach that has the highest rate of sunshine hours in New Zealand – which is the ideal pre-requisite for the ultimate beach experience. It’s located at the top of New Zealand’s South Island and is walking distance to well-known hikes, local seafood joints, and other coves and lagoons. Due to the high quartz content, the beach also has glittering golden sand with visiting marine life such as dolphins, seals, and penguins.
If a beach with the highest rate of sunshine hours in New Zealand doesn’t pique your interest, how about heading to a beach that’s the first place in the world to see the sunrise? At Wainui Beach just north of Gisborne, you can see exactly that. Head there early, and you’ll be one of the first to greet the start of the new day.
5. Get Your Surfing on!
New Zealand beaches are a surfer’s paradise with a variety of beaches to suit all levels of surfers. At little Raglan, some of the world’s serious surfers head to Manu Bay that’s rumored to have the world’s longest left-hand break. If you want a friendlier surf, Ngarunui allows safer swimming and is patrolled by lifeguards; there’s even a Raglan Surf School so anyone can give surfing a go (to check out all our local Raglan Accommodation, click here!).
Another beach famous for its surf is Whale Bay in Raglan. There, the beach is well-known and has a left-hand break that is a favourite amongst surfers. If you’re a beginner, there are plenty of surf schools around to teach you the basics before you try to conquer Whale Bay.
Want more surf? You’ll have to head to Piha Beach in West Auckland. Piha is home to some of the wildest surf in the country, and the beach has black, velvety sand along with an eroded 16 million-year-old volcanic neck called Lion Rock. Due to its strong currents and rips, this beach isn’t recommended for beginners. However, if you’re a surfer, this beach would prove to be a surfer’s wonderland.
We’re just scratching the surface of beaches that are available in New Zealand. There are plenty of other New Zealand beaches that offer unique landscapes, picturesque views, and untouched nature. With such a diverse range of beaches, there’s no better time to start planning a beach holiday in New Zealand.
