whangapoua - a kiwi summer stunner
Whangapoua is often thought of as the gateway to the famous New Chums Beach, but there’s so much more to this little corner of the Coromandel. From its beautiful main beach and estuary to bush walks, rocks, islands and that classic Kiwi summer feeling, Whangapoua is a pretty special place in its own right and it's one of our family's faves!
an old memory
When I was a teenager, one of my close friends’ parents had a bach in Matarangi, so we spent a lot of time in the Coromandel. It became our regular escape - weekends away, beach days and plenty of fun.
One New Year’s Day, feeling particularly rough after the night before, my friend took us to Opera Point to recover.
When we arrived, we thought we’d found paradise. Perfect white sand, incredibly clear water and the feeling that we’d discovered our very own little atoll.
It was one of those days that sticks with you. More than 20 years later, I could still remember that white sand, clear water and that feeling of being somewhere really special.
family time
Fast forward more than 20 years and, now spending a lot of time in Kūaotunu, I decided to take my husband and kids to this little piece of paradise.
I did wonder whether my teenage memory had been wearing rose-tinted glasses. Maybe the water hadn't really been that clear. Maybe the sand hadn't really been that white. Maybe it was just the hangover talking!
I was half expecting my family to arrive and think, “Oh Mum, this place is lame.”
But nope. Turns out my memory was spot on.
Opera Point really was every bit as beautiful as I remembered - at least that particular day anyway! And, of course, I took loaaads of photos.
bush to beach
One of my favourite things to do is a bush walk that ends at a beach. There’s something so good about heading through the trees, not quite knowing what’s waiting for you, and then suddenly coming out onto the sand and sea.
Whangapoua is pretty special because you can do this in two directions. You’ve already heard me talk about Opera Point, and that’s one option. Head the other way and you can make the walk to the famous New Chums Beach.
Two bush-to-beach walks, two very different experiences, and both starting from Whangapoua.
new chums
And of course, there’s the other bush-to-beach option from Whangapoua: New Chums.
You can’t drive there, and I think that’s part of the magic. The walk takes about 30 minutes, over rocks and through beautiful native bush, before you finally emerge onto the beach.
And what a beach it is. Pinky-white, squeaky sand, turquoise water, no houses, no roads and no signs. Just this incredible stretch of coastline tucked away from everything else.
It’s certainly not a secret anymore. Lonely Planet has included New Chums in its lists of the world’s best beaches, and it’s now firmly on the Coromandel must-see list. But even with its popularity, there’s still plenty of room to find your own patch of sand.
There’s shade along the edges, cool rocks, beautiful waves and often boats anchored offshore for the day. It really is pretty special.
much more than just a gateway
So, as beautiful as New Chums is, Whangapoua is definitely more than just a gateway to the beach down the road.
Whangapoua has the kind of beach where everyone can find their own version of a good day. There’s swimming and surf for those who want a bit of action, plenty of space to walk and explore, and loads of room for the kids to run around and do what kids do at the beach.
There’s also the estuary at the other end, giving you another spot to explore, whether you’re out on the water, poking around the shoreline or just watching the tide come and go.
Or you can find a patch of sand, settle in and do absolutely nothing. There’s no wrong way to spend a day here.
It’s a beach you can easily spend a whole day at, without ever feeling like you need to be on your way somewhere else.
kiwi summer classic
Whangapoua has that old-school Kiwi summer feeling that I absolutely love.
There are baches, a camping ground, boats coming and going, kids disappearing down to the beach and the local shop for an ice cream. There’s even a great little playground by the shop, which is handy when the kids need a break from the sand.
And you need to keep an eye on your food. One year, a seagull flew off with an entire lasagna topper we’d bought for lunch. Yes, the whole thing, straight out of the bag!
Chuck on your jandals, grab an ice cream, coffee or some takeaway and head back to the beach. That’s pretty much a perfect summer day to me.
the island
Out in the water sits Punga Punga Island, one of the features that makes the Whangapoua landscape so distinctive.
It’s hard to miss from the beach and adds another layer to an already beautiful view. Depending on the light, tide and weather, it can look completely different - sometimes soft and hazy in the distance, sometimes standing out sharply against the blue water.
For me, it’s one of those little details that makes Whangapoua instantly recognisable. And one day I'm going to swim to it like the young people!
whangapoua rocks!
If you’ve read any of my blogs or posts before, you’ll know how much I love rock formations — and Whangapoua certainly doesn’t disappoint on the rock front!
The coastline is full of seriously cool rocks, with all sorts of shapes, textures and layers to discover. They look different depending on the light and tide, and I loved wandering around, looking at them from different angles.
They’re exactly the kind of detail that makes me stop, look a little closer and reach for my camera.
And there was certainly no shortage of that happening at Whangapoua.
through my lens
As you can probably tell, I didn’t come to Whangapoua without my camera!
I’ve got a range of photos from the main beach and around the Opera Point end, where I found plenty to catch my eye - the light, the rocks, the water and those beautiful coastal views.
That’s one of the things I love about photographing a place. You start noticing all the little details you might otherwise walk straight past, and Whangapoua certainly gave me plenty to look at.
Some of those photographs have now made their way into my Whangapoua artwork.
wear whangapoua
There was no way I could visit a place I love this much without creating a Whangapoua design.
This one shows the headland, the beautiful stretch of beach and sand, and Punga Punga Island sitting just offshore - all on a day when Whangapoua was looking pretty spectacular.
It’s one of my favourite things about creating these designs: taking a place that means something to me and turning one of my photographs into something you can actually wear.
So if Whangapoua is your happy place too, you can quite literally wear your happy place.
wear new chums or wainuiototo
And then there’s New Chums.
For this design, I wanted to keep it really simple and let those incredible colours do the work. It’s the pinky-white sand and turquoise water from one of my photographs, and I think it looks especially good on black, which really makes the colours pop.
If New Chums is your happy place, this one’s for you. Wear your happy place.
thoughts
For me, Whangapoua is one of those places that stayed with me long after I left.
Maybe it’s the teenage memories, the summer days, or simply the feeling of being somewhere special.
Who does Whangapoua remind you of?
What are your favourite memories of this beautiful corner of the Coromandel?
I’d love to hear them.
