How crazy-lucky are we to live in a country with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Make sure you head out and travel this fabulous land of ours and visit some of the best family beaches in the country. Your kids will love you for it and they’ll become perfect NZ beach-ambassadors!
North Island
Hot Water Beach, The Coromandel
Your bubs will love this world-renowned beach, as you can dig your own spa! At low tide, people flood the beach in search of the biggest, bubbling, warmest spot in the sand. Give the kids a spade, and get ready to relax. Heaps of families and couples can be found here idling in the natural springs. We recommend keeping kids in the pools, as this is a surf-beach – but that doesn’t mean you can’t watch the pros do their thing as you relax in the steam. Only a five-minute drive from Narnia itself (Cathedral Cove, pictured above), this white-sand coastline will have you captivated.
Pilot Bay Beach, Bay of Plenty
At Pilot Bay, you don’t have to worry about littlies getting knocked off their feet by the surf-waves that disturb most New Zealand coastlines. This sheltered bay stays away from the open ocean, and keeps calm swimming conditions regardless of the season. So let the little ones splash about in the clear blue waters, hunt around for shells, and create Christmas sand castles. The bay slowly turns into a grassy reserve, fitted with a boardwalk perfect for scooters, bikes, or just a stroll along the shore. Sit back, under the sun or a beach canopy, and bask in the views of the Bay of Plenty, and Mount Maunganui’s great mountain Mauao.
Ninety Mile Beach, Northland
Nestled between Kaitaia and Cape Reinga, this wide spread of beach looks over an endless ocean (although, it is only fifty-five miles long – but we won’t tell). If you’re in for the long haul, bring along the familymobile (4WDs) and drive it onto the beach. Make sure you deck your car out with boogie boards, toboggans, and anything you can slide down the huge desert-looking sand dunes with. It’s a Mediterranean holiday in NZ! Bring along the tunes, surf the dunes, and have a never-ending adventure.
South Island
Sumner Beach, Christchurch
Sumner, the Christchurch seaside suburb, is a bustling hub for families. The main promenade is perfect for a stroll with buggies, walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, and kids. Swimming is recommended in front of the surf club’s watchful eye. This shallow beach has a gradual slope at high tide, and at low tide kids can explore Cave Rock. Cave Rock, or Tuawera, is a volcanic rock formation believed to be a hollowed-out whale, beached by black magic. Kids will love climbing inside these mysterious cave formations.
Pohara Beach, Golden Bay
This small beachside town never stops growing in the summertime. Everyone flocks to this sandy, safe haven of a beach. Considered Golden Bay’s tourism capital, Pohara is home to cafes, kayak hires, bars and more. What about the kids? This shallow, calm beach has the best conditions for the kids to try kayaking and paddle boarding for the first time. There’s always fun to be had, even at low tide when the beach turns into a long plain. Pack the cricket bats, volleyball, football and anything else you can think of to make the most of the low tide.
By Olivia Stanley
Main Image: Cathedral Cove, juts 10 minutes drive from Hot Water Beach/Wikipedia Portrait
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