Where are NZ’s best beaches? NZ Herald Travel launches 2024 search

Another New Year can only mean one thing... it’s time for the Herald’s annual search for New Zealand’s Best Beach. Here’s how to vote.

For two years running, Ōhope has been crowned by Herald readers as New Zealand’s Best Beach. But can it make it a hat-trick? Or will 2019 winner Whangamatā be back to take the crown? Perhaps an entirely new winner will emerge from the field. The decision is in your hands.

Today, the Herald launches our annual search for New Zealand’s Best Beach 2024 and we want you to nominate your favourite beaches from around the country in five categories. The series runs through January and nominations are now open – you’ll find the easy form at the bottom of the page, or head to nzherald.co.nz/bestbeach to enter.

Let’s start with the unexpected – we want to know the beach you consider New Zealand’s Best Hidden Gem. This is the place you like to go to get away from it all, where you’ll find solitude and unspoilt beauty. Don’t keep the secrets all to yourself - tell your fellow Kiwis about the treasures hidden around the country.

Next, tell us your top pick for New Zealand’s Best Surf Beach, where surfers can find the most reliable waves, and non-surfers can take a refreshing walk along a wild, rugged beach to blow out the cobwebs.

Is one of the beaches on South Taranaki's surf highway your favourite surf beach in New Zealand? Nominate your favourites in the Herald's Best Beach 2024. Photo / James Russell

Best Family Beach was a hotly contested category last year and we want to hear more about your favourite place to take the whānau for a relaxing day in the sand. Nominate the spots that have safe water for the kids, a good stretch of grass to lay out a picnic blanket, some shade to keep everyone sun-safe, and necessities like toilets and showers, playgrounds and icecream vans.

We also want to know your picks for the nation’s Best Camping Beach – the place you can pitch your tent with an ocean- or lake-front view, and start your day with a refreshing dip, rather than a shower.

And last but by no means least, we want to know your recommendations for Best City Beach, whether it’s in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, or even a smaller city around the motu. Nominate your favourite beach in Aotearoa’s urban centres – maybe it’s your local spot or the place you go for a city break.

With cafes and bars, a long sweep of white sand, surf, and a hot salt water pool, Dunedin's St Clair Beach could fit a number of categories in the Herald's search for NZ's Best Beach. Photo / Dunedin NZ

Getting your nominations in is easy – just scroll to the bottom of this page or go to nzherald.co.nz/bestbeach to find the entry form. There, you’ll be able to nominate one contender for each category.

You can also tell us a little bit about why you think these beaches deserve to win and send us a favourite photo of you and your whānau enjoying these great summer spots – we’ll profile entries throughout the month.

Nominations are open until the end of Monday, January 8. From there, the 10 most popular nominees in each category will be named as finalists. You can then vote for the ultimate winners, which will be crowned at the end of the month.

Any beach, anywhere around the country could make the final list, from the tip of Te Tai Tokerau Northland to the bottom of Rakiura Stewart Island. It’s all up to you!

Go to nzherald.co.nz/bestbeach to submit your nominations or fill out the entry form below.