The finalists have been revealed for New Zealand’s Best Beach 2026. Here are the 10 contenders in the Best Family Beach category – choose your favourite then vote for them to be crowned ultimate winner with the voting form at the bottom of this page.
It’s a question that’s probably been asked around every Kiwi barbecue: what makes a great Kiwi family beach?
Here’s some advice: the priority is NOT safe, calm swimming. That’s crucial but comes much later.
It’s essential facilities. One, parking, as any frazzled driver can tell you. Two, clean toilets, changing rooms and, with luck, public barbecues.
Next, plenty of sand, and playgrounds, and shady picnic spots, plus nearby cafes or convenience shops. Or an ice cream van.
Now we can plop ourselves and smaller persons on the beach, where it’d be nice if nature provided safely adjacent gentle waves, rockpools and grass. Soft sand for building sandcastles and half-burying an ageing relation.
Then we can – with loving and gentle supervision – approach the water.
That’s more waffle than a Danish ice cream cone. It’s time to review your 10 finalists for the best family beaches, from north to south.
Half an hour’s drive from Whangārei is Matapōuri, where baches, lodges, freedom campsites, tents and bush-covered headlands ring the large beach. Be aware, there’s no lifeguard service.
There’s a reason – many reasons – why Waipu Cove’s secluded, safe stretch of sand was our family and supreme champion last year. An idyllic camping or day-trip destination, it offers more than enough for all ages to do.
Roughly 40km north of central Auckland, Ōrewa’s bustling town and beach attract surfers, swimmers, runners and families; you’re sure to find a space along its 3km of golden sand for a fun day, followed by a casual beachfront dinner.
On its white-sand peninsula in northern Coromandel, 2½ hours drive from Auckland, there are two sides to Matarangi. On one is the calm, protected Whangapoua Harbour; on the other, the 4km Ocean Beach. Accommodation can be hard to find in high summer.
Think pōhutukawa, barbecues, rope swings and 6.5ha of beachfront real estate and you’ve got Hāhei. The sheltered bay is ideal for the smallest people, the township has shops and eateries, and Cathedral Cove is walkable on the newly reopened trail.
More mini-Surfers Paradise than laid-back Coromandel surfer town these days, Whangamatā still has something for all the family. The 6km Ocean Beach is just about on the main drag and is patrolled throughout the summer.
Waihī Beach and its 9km white-sand beach is the place for an old-school Kiwi beach holiday – ice cream, fish ’n’ chips, running across hot sand and splashing about in the waves. Be aware that – like many east coast sites – it’s prone to rips.
Mount Maunganui’s necklace of beaches runs 30km from “the Mount” to lazy Maketū. Surf, swim, people-watch. Stroll across the road to a cafe. Sunbathe on the grass. Relax in hot pools or climb the maunga. Who needs Waikiki?
Our readers go crazy for Ōhope’s 11km stretch of shimmering white sand, which provides plenty of space and activities for families, sunbathers, surfers and fitness enthusiasts. Big plus: it’s one of our safest beaches.
Waving the flag for Te Wai Pounamu, Kaiteriteri has golden sand and clear, turquoise water, and is situated 13km from Motueka. The gateway to Abel Tasman National Park, it’s an ideal stop on a family trip to this enchanting region.
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), as well as four other categories.
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.
Coromandel’s Best Beach finalists have always been on the Pacific side. We’ll turn left at Kopu and head to the town that gives the peninsula its name. You’ll appreciate Māori and Pākehā history, kauri logging and gold mining, and charming Victorian buildings refashioned as eateries and galleries. For the kids, there’s a cannot-miss mountain railway, activities, stunning forest hike/bike trails and bay after gleaming bay.
Check out Coromandel Shelly Beach Top 10 Holiday Park in 3ha of grounds on the Hauraki Gulf’s shore, winner of the 2025 Supreme Holiday Park Awards. My daughter and family have made this their base camp for several summer holidays. The kids love the facilities, activities, beach and catching up with summertime friends. Warning, word is getting out: they have to book next year’s dates before packing up for home.