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 absolutely had to see a black sand beach on my trip to New Zealand and on our way to Hamilton we…read moredrove along the coast to Manu Bay. There are several small seaside towns to visit on the drive and though we didn't stay long to look around, it appeared there were some places for tourist shopping and some dining options. This beach was beautiful and I really wish I had more time to spend here. The black sand is striking yet soft on the footsies. There was a great menagerie of shells and rocks washed up along the beach that were fun to pick through. There are a lot of hills around, and there was a short little hike to a lookout point with a great view. Apparently one of the best surf sites on the North Islands west coast, it did have some surfers out there despite the weather being a bit nasty. There were places to rent gear if you're interested in some water activities. We also passed by several nice looking camping and recreation areas. Great stop and very glad I didn't miss it!!

Also known as Main Beach, Mount Maunganui Beach is located on the Northeast side of the peninsula…read morethat juts out into the Pacific Ocean, the point being Mount Maunganui. It is located in the suburb of Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. The Peninsula is narrow, and on the other side is Pilot Beach facing the Bay of Plenty with calmer waters. We came for a visit on a Sunday in mid April, and the beach was being enjoyed by locals, competing in a team obstacle course competition. But even then, there was a ton of open space for beach lovers, with the wide sandy beach providing just a gorgeous backdrop. It truly is a picturesque beach.

This is a really beautiful beach with a lot of wonderful amenities. There is convenient parking all…read moredown the beach and we were able to easily find a spot and head over to the trailhead for Mount Maunganui. It seems like you could spend a full day here pretty easy. Do a little hiking in the morning and be rewarded with a great view of the beach and bay, then relax on the beach all day. The sand is very soft and perfect for footsies. There's also bike baths and paved walking trails offering something for everyone. There's quite a few restaurants and ice cream places just walking distance from the beach in case you get hit by the hungries throughout the day. I was also really impressed to see the water bottle refilling stations to help keep you hydrated. The day we were there we saw a lot of surfers out and the water was pretty rough. I imagine this is a better beach for laying out on rather than for swimming. Pretty incredible area though, wish I lived next to it!

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.

Very nice and clean beach. Parking is right at the beach. One of the best beaches in New Zealand…read more The walk along the beach takes you right up to mount maunganui.

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.

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.

Sullivan's Bay is part of the Mahurangi Regional Park and is a gorgeous little beach at the end of…read morethe peninsula. From State Highway one it's about a 15min drive along the winding but very scenic road. It's a perfect spot for young kids; the water is flat and there are big old Pohutakawa trees to shade under for the day. The Auckland regional council manages the campground down there; Adults $18, kids $6 per night, and it's right next to the beach. If you're spending the day and the tide is right you can walk over the hill or around the coast to Te Muri. It's even more secluded around here and can only be reached over the estuary when the tide is out. It's worth the walk though, there's a little pioneer graveyard (the early Sullivan family are among the buried) and a nice piece of farm land with little lambies come spring.

Commonly know as the 'Secret Beach' this reserve is so awesome. Probably one of my top five spots…read morein Auckland, which is saying a lot. You walk down a set of steps to find the cutest little beach in what seems like the middle of the city. And the best thing is that there is usually no one there! This is unheard of for most Auckland beaches and I love that it's like that. The beach looks out over the harbour and also at the harbour bridge, which makes it the perfect date spot. I've also got friends who've had wedding photos there. But you do need to be aware of when it is low and high tide as it goes out a little way. We like to go get a coffee from Jervois Road and take it down with us. Nature truly provides the best setting to enjoy a good coffee.

Super beach reserve which looks out towards the Chelsea Sugar Factory. There is a toilet and…read moreshower in the reserve which is handy. On the beach there are lovely low hanging Pohutukawa which provide some shade if you want. The best time to come here is a couple of hours either side of high tide.