The 50 finalists in the Herald’s Best Beach competition have been named. Take a closer look at the contenders for Best City Beach, before casting your vote for your favourite.
Dragged back to work in the big smoke? Yeah, we know the feeling. But that doesn’t mean summer’s over. Heck, if you’re an Aucklander, it’s not even Auckland Anniversary weekend yet, let alone Waitangi Day in the rest of the country.
Luckily, since we live (mostly) on two rocks in the Great Southern Ocean we’re never too far from the sea, and almost all our major towns and cities are built or near the water.
Even Hamilton has its riverfront Wellington St Beach.
So you can nip for a dip on the weekend or after work at one or more of these 10 city beaches that our readers have shortlisted as the best of the best. Over to you, voters.
Ōrewa: 3km of golden bliss for camping, swimming, watersports and chilling; just 20 minutes from Auckland CBD, boutiques, cafes and restaurants just across the road. If you somehow manage to tire of people-watching and sunbathing, check out the interesting Estuary Arts Centre and beautiful Te Ara Tahuna Walkway.
Insta-perfect views of Rangitoto, long strands of inviting sand … and if that’s not enough, Takapuna throws in one of the city’s biggest and best beachfront playgrounds, accessible for wheelchair users. Oh, and myriad cafes, restaurants and ice cream parlours at water and hillside levels.
A few minutes south, Cheltenham’s golden sand, turquoise water and grassy areas – thoughtfully shaded by trees – lend themselves to languid picnics or fish’n chips with ocean views.
Come by ferry: Devonport Wharf is only 1.3km away, a gentle stroll.
On the blue-and-white side of the bridge, two neighbours with only a yacht club separating them (fun fact: both Mission Bay and Kohimarama were known as “Kohimarama” until Bishop Selwyn lobbed up in the 1850s).
Mission Bay is the louder, flashier, bougie twin: bars, eateries, a cinema, fountain; Kohimarama the slightly more sedate, a smaller foreshore, more benches for sitting and idling, fewer cafes. It’s your choice, knowing that parking is a ‘mare at both on weekends; consider Auckland Transport’s frequent buses or jogging, biking, skating or scootering along Tāmaki Drive.
Before we leave Tāmaki Makaurau, it’d be remiss not to advise checking in with Safeswim, the Auckland Council website using real-time data on rainfall, wind and other environmental factors to simulate water quality at the city’s beaches. Colour-coded flags indicate water safety, including possible exposure to rashes caused by sea anemones and jellyfish.
At “the Mount”, given today’s rules, we have to focus on Main Beach. (Before anyone quibbles that it’s not a city beach because it’s in Mount Maunganui and not Tauranga, they merged in 1988.) Anyway, who’s going to argue with the sand, those rolling waves, the pools, the cafes, the restaurants, the bronzed bodies …
New Plymouth has just been named sunshine capital of Aotearoa, and the big draw here is Fitzroy Beach. Locals and visitors flock to its smoking black-sand shore, inviting waters and laidback vibe – plus a superb holiday park on the slopes above. It sits on the 13km Coastal Walkway along the city’s waterfront, perfect for walking, running, biking and stunning Tasman views.
Tucked into the capital’s inner harbour, just around the corner from Te Papa, Oriental Bay has enticed generations of Wellingtonians for safe swimming, picnics and general summertime joy. Uber-chef Ben Bayly is presently restoring the iconic rotunda into a fine-dining destination.
Tāhunanui, the closest beach to Nelson city, is a safe 1.75km bay with honey-coloured sand and deep-blue water that could coax even the most reluctant into its ripples. More active types ply stand-up paddleboards, windsurfers and kite-surfers galore. Bonus: the cool playground beyond the dunes.
Dunedin’s St Clair Beach is best-known for its consistent surfing waves but there’s way more to it, particularly after recent makeovers. As well as swimming and walking, the vibrant Esplanade hosts cafes, bars and (our favourite) the historic hot saltwater pools.
You’ll find the finalists in our Best Surf Beach category in the form below. You have until 11.59pm on Sunday, January 25, to vote for your favourite in this category (you can’t vote for the Sweet-as Spot).
Vote at nzherald.co.nz/bestbeach or by using the form below. We’ll announce all winners in the Herald on Sunday and at nzherald.co.nz in February.
You can be a winner too – submit your votes and you’ll go in the draw to win one of 10 $100 gift cards to spend at a Four Square near you, wherever you’re spending your summer.
This spot didn’t make it to our finalists list but we think it’s one of New Zealand’s best. Make a date to check it out this summer.
Aotearoa has 3800 lakes, one of which is the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere, so it’s way past time to recognise their beaches. Taupō is technically not a city but with over 25,000 residents, it would have been before they changed the rules. Taupō Lakefront Reserve has everything our city beach finalists offer, and quite a bit more. Stretching 5km from the town centre to family-friendly Two Mile Bay, you’ll find safe swimming, watersports, boating, fishing, walking and wildlife trails, easy access to shops, cafes and cultural sites. Bonus: the natural geothermal spring at Hot Water Beach.
Go to nzherald.co.nz/bestbeach to submit your nominations or fill out the entry form below.