Beaches

Good old kiwi summer holidays mean endless days of lazy swims, picnics, hokey pokey ice creams and the sand crunching between your toes. There are a handful of New Zealand beaches that stand out more than others for the show they put on at the end of the evening, so we’ve put together what we think are the five best beaches in the country to watch the sun set.

In the South Island of New Zealand, a sweet-little coastal town where the mountains meet the sea is just waiting to greet you. Here you can relax and let the worries of the world wash away as the waves of the Pacific Ocean crash to the shore, surrounded by fresh sea and mountain air. 

Windswept volcanic black sand, thundering waves crashing to shore, and a cheeky colony of marine birdlife are just some of the sights that greet you on a visit to Muriwai, one of Auckland’s famous wild west coast beaches, and undoubtedly one of New Zealand’s most iconic.

A much-loved holiday spot Paihia is the main gateway to the beautiful marine playground of the Bay of Islands. Hailed as the ‘Jewel of the Bay of Islands’ the long stretches of sand and calm waters lapping at the shore, just metres away from the little seafaring town, has helped Paihia become globally recognised as one of New Zealand’s best beaches. 

Located in the beautiful sun-drenched Mercury Bay area, on the Coromandel Peninsula, is Whitianga, a thriving coastal town that provides an easily accessible base to get out and explore some of New Zealand’s best beaches. The breathtaking gateway beach of Hahei, the white sands of Matarangi and the surfing mecca of Kuaotunu are just some of the unforgettable New Zealand beaches that can be experienced not far from the thriving town of Whitianga.

When you ask people what they know about New Zealand there is one thing (apart from Hobbits) that usually springs to mind – our beautiful beaches. With stretches of white sand and picture-perfect blue waters on the east coast, to the black-sandy, rough and tumble crashing waves on the west, New Zealand beaches have it all. Kiwi holiday makers love the Coromandel.