Waihi Beach – Camping

We went on our first Camping weekend at Waihi Beach. The weekend of November 7th, 2009. We pitched the tent right on the beach, sounded like a good idea at the time, but as the day cooled, the wind picked up, which meant a very sleepless night for the tent dwellers.

Tip # 1: Always pick a sheltered spot when Camping. The Wind in NZ can pick up without warning.

The facilities at the Waihi Beach top 10 Holiday park was excellent, but in hind site, I’d stay in a backpackers cabin next time. It’s only $10 dearer per night, so unless you go for more than a weekend, that would be the way to go.

Tip # 2: Find out what facilities are available, it could greatly reduce your stress and the amount of packing space required.

Tip # 3: If there are no indoor cooking facilities available, ensure that you have a well ventilated, but wind-proof cooking area available.

The Beach was great. 9km of sand and the surf was not bad either, just too bat the water was so damn cold. The wind at that time of the year was too gusty to enjoy kiting, although I saw a guy on his blow-cart enjoying the wide open space. Anrika enjoyed the sun and the sand quite a bit.

See the full Gallery here: Waihi Beach

Things to do and see

Waihi – New Zealand’s heart of gold. A very nice little town with a great history. There are a couple of Museums and old buildings and churches to see. The most attractive part of the town is the open grove gold mine and the historical sites around it.

Paeroa – The home of Lemon and Pearoa. It’s worth stopping to see the giant L&P bottles and to take a couple of pictures. There is also a couple of farmers markets (weekends only) and a couple of nice parks, for the kids. So remember Paeroa on your way to and from Waihi and Waihi Beach.

Ngatea – Have a break and something to eat at the Copper Kettle Cafe, right there in the main drag and go walking through the water gardens, where you’ll be greeted by the tame ducks, geese and peacocks (have you ever seen a white peacock? They have two!). Enjoy the Tinny Museum, with drink cans from all over the world.

See the Paeroa and Ngatea Gallery here: Paeroa & Ngatea

Coromandel or Tauranga? – waihi beach is known as the gateway to the Coromandel, but it is exactly half way between the Coromandel peninsula and Taurange, so it makes a great base when exploring those areas.

Tags: Camping, Ngatea water gardens, Paeroa, top 10 Holiday parks, Waihi Beach