chloedickensonLast Updated on 9th February 2021
One thing that New Zealand certainly isn’t short of is beautiful expanses of beaches and Hot Water Beach & Cathedral Cove reflect that notion perfectly.
Hot Water Beach & Cathedral Cove reside in the Coromandel Peninsula in the north east of the North Island, New Zealand. Cathedral Cove is something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time now, so when we realised that Hot Water Beach & Cathedral Cove are within mere miles of each other, we knew we had to take a day trip there.
If you’ve got an exciting trip to the North Island lined up anytime soon (lucky you!), then here’s everything you need to know about visiting Hot Water Beach & Cathedral Cove!
Hot Water Beach, Coromandel
From where we’re staying in Katikati, Hot Water Beach is approximately a 2 hours drive, or a 2 hours and 45-minutes drive from Auckland.
Located on the north east coast of the North Island, Hot Water Beach can be visited at any time of the year (but it’s actually advised that you don’t go in the height of summer in the middle of the day). This is because the water itself is remarkably hot, so hopping into your own thermal pool during a hot summer’s day wouldn’t be the most enjoyable.
The weather was pretty mild when we visited, it was warm enough to be on the beach in a swimming costume (or toggs as the Kiwis call them) but not too warm that the pools weren’t pleasant.
While the temperature was perfectly mild, there were a fair few clouds littering the sky, which doesn’t make for the most aesthetically pleasing backdrop.
However, once you walk onto the beach and immerse your feet into the hot sand and consequential hot water beneath, all your other surroundings pale into insignificance.
The best time to visit Hot Water Beach is two hours either side of low tide; if (like me) you have no idea when low or high tide will be, the Coromandel website has up to date information for the entire month.
There’s an approximate 20 metre radius in which the hot water lies beneath the sand’s surface and even though it’s winter here in NZ, there were still plenty of people looking for the perfect spot.
The spot that we chose was seemingly the hottest part on the beach; there were lots of ‘oofs’ and ‘aahs’ coming from us as we dug our hole and sat down. The water can reach temperatures of 64° so it’s not hard to see why we were taking plenty of sharp intakes of breath!
Directly opposite the ‘hot spot’ for digging your own thermal spa resides a huge rock surface, with an abundance of mussels living on its surface. The rock sits somewhere between the sea and the sand and at low tide, the sea water around it is almost as hot as underneath the sand!
Creating your own thermal pool at Hot Water Beach will truly be one of the most surreal and incredible experiences you’ll ever have! It didn’t seem real that a couple of metres from the sea’s edge, you can feel the hot water on the surface, as well as underneath the sand.
Top tips for visiting Hot Water Beach
- You can hire a spade/shovel from the nearby gift shops for $10 – or just bring your own free of charge!
- As I previously mentioned, the water can be very hot in certain places so just be aware and take extra care.
- There are numerous car parks right next to HWB that you have to pay for (they’re around $4 an hour), but there’s also free on-street parking just a couple of hundred metres up the hill!
- Make sure to check the tide when you plan to visit and go two hours either side (you can spend as long as you like on the beach though).
- Arrive as early as possible in time for low tide to ensure you get an optimal thermal hole digging spot!
- Don’t forget your toggs and towel; you’ll definitely want to submerge yourself in the relaxing water as much as possible.
- There are toilets and changing rooms located next to the carpark and Hotties Eatery.
- Take extra care if you’re going in the sea as the waves can get pretty intense, even if you’re just waist deep.
Cathedral Cove, Coromandel
Cathedral Cove is often cited as one of the best things to do in the North Island and as soon as we stepped foot on its beach, we could see why.
The beach lends itself to picturesque ocean views, gorgeous white sand, as well as the cove (Cathedral) itself. Cathedral Cove can only be accessed by foot, kayak or boat and the walk there is a spectacle in itself.
The bush walk is approximately 45 minutes each way and offers a great vantage point to admire the arresting views out into the open ocean. The walk begins at the north end of Hahei town and you can either park in the free car park and walk 75 minutes to the start of the trek (plus another 45 minutes to get to the Cove) or take a paid-for shuttle bus or you can (like we did) park in the car park at the very start of the trek and pay $15 for the privilege.
There are plenty of look out points and benches punctuating the walk, all with mind-blowing views of the sea.
Once you arrive at the beach and round the corner, you’ll see the magnificent Cathedral in all its glory. Pictures really don’t do it justice at all and even though it looks astounding on photos, there’s really nothing like the real thing.
Surrounded by creamy cliff surfaces that are smeared with limestone, gently lapping blue water, soft and silky sand and of course, the Cathedral itself; Cathedral Cove genuinely blew me away when I first clapped eyes on it.
As you first step onto the beach, to the right you’ll be greeted by a huge cream coloured rock jutting out next to the shore. The rock didn’t even look real to me and looked like it had just accidentally fell into place.
I also couldn’t believe how soft and creamy the sand was; Cathedral Cove beach would be unbelievably idyllic during the summer months!
As we approached the Cove, it was hard to comprehend just how large it was and the vantage point through it was so surreal; the huge rock that you can see peeking through looked spectacular up close and personal.
There weren’t an awful lot of people on the beach when we visited, but I imagine during New Zealand’s summer (December to February) that it can get very busy (or at least New Zealand’s version of busy anyway!).
The picture above showcases the imposing rock that you can see if you’re angled correctly as you look through Cathedral Cove. It reminded me somewhat of a sail of a ship and was just like something you’d see on a Pirates of the Caribbean movie!
My favourite view of the Cove however, and consequentially my favourite picture of Cathedral Cove is the one above.
This is looking back through the Cove to the start of the bush walk and the stone looks particularly impressive from this angle.
It really is hard to capture the magic of Cathedral Cove on a camera and I really feel that it’s something you have to experience yourself to truly get an understanding of its monumental presence.
I can totally understand why Hot Water Beach & Cathedral Cove are some of the best things to do in the North Island of New Zealand and I would HIGHLY recommend adding them to your NZ travel bucket list!
Have you ever been to Hot Water Beach or Cathedral Cove? Do you think you’d like to one day? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @imjustagirl_16.
