Auckland is spoilt for choice when it comes to great beaches, but some days you feel like leaving…read morethe city and going on a little adventure. Mangawhai is a great option. Only one hour north of Auckland, it is perfect for a day trip, weekend or long weekend away. From the moment you enter Mangawhai you feel instantly relaxed - the whole place oozes the beach vibe. Mangawhai beach is a very popular beach and for good reason. The sea is a lovely teal colour, there is great surf and the sand is soft and white. It is pretty large too, so there is plenty of space no matter how hot the day is. The sea can get a bit rough but there is generally always a calm spot for the kiddies somewhere. It is a cool place with rocks to explore and whatnot. Parking can be a bit tricky on really busy days, but give the surf club a go because you might get lucky. Even if it is super stormy, it is a cool beach to walk along and watch the crazy people kite surfing of surfing the waves. There is a great fish and chip shop nearby too, so grab some post a beach day out to top off your very Kiwi day. And awesome place to go for the day, and the drive is nice too!

This has to be one of the busiest beaches during the summer months! And it's pretty obvious why…read more The beach itself is absolutely beautiful. The water is clear and crisp and the sand is squeaky clean... it actually squeaks sometimes when you rub your feet in it! This is a great beach for the family as more often that not there are little waves, which make for some fun boogie boarding or body surfing. As Jacob said it's not often that there's real surf-able waves here but when the east coast swell gets up and hits at the right angle you might be in for a treat. There are some awesome rock pools to explore and a hill to climb which gives you a great look out over the bay. But be careful! I once saw a group of young kids get washed along the rocks as a set wave rolled in. Make sure you accompany your kids and only go exploring if there aren't big waves and the tide's not too high!

Beautiful Anchor Bay is a day trip spent perfectly in one of our regions golden treasures…read more I spent Easter Sunday here with my son and partner, we arrived not too long after lunch, and the car park close by was already packed to maximum capacity. A short walk down to the beach via the beach path and we found a lovely patch of sand with our name on it. I spent my time here swimming in the beautiful clean cool ocean, body surfing waves, and sun tanning. I recommend if you're not too relaxed to take a walk down the beach towards the rock pools which fill up and explore a deep human sized rock pool that you can dive bomb into! Sublime. The little kids will enjoy running about the rock pools and soaking in them, or searching for the little and big crabs that call it their home. The oceans out beyond the bay are protected as a marine reserve so the fish/sea creatures are happy and you won't see a fisherman in this regional park area. I love the peace I feel at Anchor Bay and always cherish my time here.

I'd been in Auckland for precisely two weeks when my friends insisted one hot hungover Sunday that…read morethey were going to drive me to Tawharanui beach for a day of sunbathing. Sit in a car for over an hour? On a boiling hot day? With a hangover? I still can't believe they managed to talk me into it...But I'm oh so glad they did. Tawharanui is without a doubt my favourite out of Auckland day trip. The beach is just gorgeous with perfect white sand, big crashing waves and lots of caves at the side you can explore. It literally makes the inner city beaches pale in comparison. Stop in Matakana for ice-cream or a meal on the way there or back. Load up a cool box with beer and sit and take in the amazing view. Tip: it gets really packed on sunny days so head there early to secure a good spot. Also, not drinking the night before will help to uphold your enthusiasm for the journey.

If I had to pick a favourite day trip out of Auckland there's a high chance that Tawharanui would…read morebe it. It has the most beautiful beach, large enough for everyone to spread out over busy summer weekends but small enough to still feel intimate and easy enough to find friends who've had the same idea as you! You can walk out past the first bay and there is a huge stretch of beach - more popular with the surfers as the break is bigger on this side. If sunbathing and lazing isn't your thing, there are plenty of walks and wildlife in the regional park, and you can even camp here (something I've never done but is on my bucket list). Looking forward to plenty of day trips next summer already!

Waipu Cove is a great wee beach and a lovely destination for a fun day trip out of Auckland. There…read moreare a few nice beaches nearby and this is one of my favourites. This is a well known spot for surfers and surf life savers. It's a really long beach which means even on the busiest of days there is room for everyone. Speaking of busy days, it can be a bit of a challenge to find a park, but as in rural New Zealand, just park up on the side of the road. The last time I went there, there was a Surf Life Saving event on and the place was buzzing. The water is generally safe to swim in and there are often great waves to be had. The sand isn't the nicest, by that I mean it's not white. But it's all good, because e harder sand is great for playing sports on. There is also an awesome walkway from here to Langs Beach and fantastic swimming spots at either end. There's a really great looking Camp site right on the edge of the beach which goes off around the holidays. A very cool place to visit.

This is probably one of my favourite camp sites around, and it's not all that far from Auckland…read moreCity. It's pretty cheap to stay here, and if you get your timing right and miss the peak season you will have the campsite almost to yourself. Everything here is clean and well maintained, and the staff are extremely friendly and happy to answer any questions. All these things are great, but that's not even the best part. The best part about this campsite is its location. It's situated right on the edge of Waipu Cove Beach; a beautiful white sand beach that is massive and usually pretty deserted, the beach is an awesome place to swim, fish, and just chill out. I can't wait to come back here for a holiday. There are other nice beaches around this area too if you're keen to go for a drive and check them out.

People in New Zealand -- the West Pacific -- think that water is "really cold" and requires a…read morewetsuit when it is somewhere in the mid 70s F -- but for me -- that's the perfect temperature. Over here in the East Pacific, we have MUCH chillier water. I brought my own snorkel gear, found a nice family who were not leaving any time soon and deposited my stuff near the non-swimming grandfather to watch, though, being NZ, I had little to worry about. Then - I hopped in the water and swam off to circumnavigate Goat Island, solo and without (gasp!) a PFD or lifeguard. I saw heaps of rays and even some reef sharks. The current between the island and the shore is a bit pushy, so I recommend checking the currents and swimming anticlockwise on an ebbing tide. Total swim was about 2200 meters, and very doable for a strong swimmer. If you're not a strong swimmer - bring a SUP or a kayak and have fun!

One of my favourite daytrips out of the city is a visit to Goat Island, in the small town of Leigh…read more Goat Island offers plenty of fine attractions to keep you entertained for the day, and if the weather plays along, then you can have a great day out. We normally pack the cricket kit, the petanque balls, and our snorkeling gear, plus all the normal beach day stuff. The Goat Island area offers good grass areas, an excellent golden beach and if you're not too scared of cold water, great snorkeling. Now others like to scuba, but I love to snorkel, and the fish offer a display of nature at her best. Blue, yellow or silver, they're all gorgeous, and seeing the big predators is worth freezing your bum off.

Ti Point and Ti Point wharf are a perfect place to take the family and spend the day. The wharf is…read moresmall, but gets busy with fisherman. It's great for fishing with the kids; you can usually pull in a sprat or two with a hand line over the side. If you walk along the coast from the wharf there are some beautiful old trees to set up under for the day. They are great for the kids to climb and some have rope swings or picnic tables. If the tide is out there is a little sandy bay protected by rocks perfect for swimming. There is also a walkign track that awinds aroudn the coast, where rocks can be accessed for heavier duty fishing. Ti Point is a little difficult to get to; you turn off from Leigh road down a winding metal road. Parking is also a little sparse. But once you're there it's a great little place to explore.

We went here on recommendation of a friend and what a discovery. This is one of those reviews I…read morewasn't sure I should write because once the secret is out, some of the magic of this place will be lost in the crowds. There's a few in the know already because we certainly weren't alone but it's absolultely one of the quietest beaches I've been to in a long time. It's calm and safe, albeit a little sharp underfoot and the tide never seems to go out very far. There's a grassy area under the trees if you prefer or a reasonable amount of shade under the rockfaces. It's really beautiful and we spent an afternoon here quietly relaxing with everyone doing their own thing (read boys throwing things around and digging holes, the girl making a beautiful sand sculpture and the parents snoozing and reading). Bliss.

Good beach for swimming when a nor'easterly blows (it's calm then). Also not very tidal, unlike (to…read moremy knowledge) all other Manukau harbour beaches. Been going there for years.

Hillsborough Bay is a place of beauty. Just off the top of Hillsborough Road there is also a track…read moreyou can take which is like walking through the jungle to get there. At the bottom lies a green and a picnic table. Carry on across the road down steps to the bay and you will be in awe of the beautiful surroundings. You can see a couple of mountains before you. The setting is tranquil and there are wooden benches to sit on. Take a book and sit under the shade of a tree. There is a children's park at the end, however, it is rarely used. There is also a beach area, however its quite stoney. If you want to meditate or go somewhere peaceful this is your place.

What a great way to spend a day out on the water! Carino Sailing and Dolphin Adventures takes you…read moreout on the water for about 6 hours exploring the Bay of Islands and they are actually licensed to interact with the wild dolphins. For only $120 per person ( from Paihia docks), you board this family run business catamaran and sail out to sea. At lunch time, they drop anchor at one of the islands where you can swim, hike, snorkel or just relax. A BBQ lunch is served on board and then you return to the docks. Tours begin around 9:30 and return to the dock at 3:30. There are only about 20 people on board and the staff goes out of their way to make you more knowledgeable about not only the area, but also the wildlife that you see along the way. On the day I went, the Dolphins were not cooperating so we didn't get to swim with them but that is more the exception than the norm. We did see a shark ( didn't swim with THAT!), a penguin and a variety of local birds. But I have it on good authority that they see Dolphins about 95% of the time and that you actually get into the water with wild Dolphins! How cool is that?? You do need to be a good swimmer if you plan to swim with the Dolphins so you are asked about your swimming level when you board and on some paperwork you fill out. Also, bring a range of clothing as the weather changes quickly out there. For sure you will need a swim suit, towel, sunblock, and a warm jacket like a windbreaker. A hat is probably a good idea too although the winds are strong so being one that stays on your head! All in all a great way to spend the day when you are in the Bay of Islands!

We would highly recommend Carino Sailing. Even though the morning weather did not promise a good…read more5-6 hour sail, Captain Vanessa's knowledge of the Bay of Islands along with her sailing experience, our day turned out to be quite memorable! There was only only one dolphin sited that day and only by our boat! Vanessa and her crew, Rhonda and Phil did a great job making us feel welcome spending the time to sit and casually chat. They were a wealth of information about the bay and its islands along with the marine and bird life. After stopping at bay midway through our sail and short hike, we were treated to delicious bbq lunch. All in all it was a great time making our first trip to New Zealand extra special. Mahalo Carino Sailing and Dolphin Adventures! Ken & Carolyn, Maui