Beaches & Lakes
Spend your days beside the water
Beaches and lakes make a great backdrop for a day out, whether you want to swim, paddle or play. Walk the coast, take a boat trip or simply relax beside the water. Pick your spot, then choose a park to base yourself.
beach days
A beach you'll really dig
Dig your own hot pool in the sand at Hot Water Beach, walk a coastal track to a quiet cove or cross the bay by ferry. Whatever the water, there's more to do than swim.
LAKESIDE DAYS
Still lakes and mountain views
Follow a lake track through the bush, stop on the shore for a swim or a picnic, then watch the mountains reflect in the water on a calm day.
Explore beaches & lakes in New Zealand
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Cathedral Cove
Coromandel, North Island
One of the Coromandel's most photographed spots — a dramatic natural sea arch framing a golden sand beach, reached by an easy walking track from Hahei or a short boat trip around the coast.
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Hot Water Beach
Coromandel, North Island
Dig your own natural hot pool in the sand — best in the two hours either side of low tide. Check tide times before you go, and TOP 10 Club members can grab a free spade hire from reception.
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Lake Matheson
West Coast, South Island
World-famous for its mirror reflections of Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Tasman on a still day — a short drive from the park.
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Whitianga
Coromandel, North Island
The Coromandel's largest township, with a wide range of shops, cafes and restaurants, a historic passenger ferry (running since 1895) across the harbour to Ferry Landing, and easy access to Buffalo Beach and the rest of Mercury Bay.