National guide
Beaches in New Zealand: One Near Each of Our 20 Cities
From Whangārei Heads to Foveaux Strait, here's one beach near every Explore city, picked from each city's own swimming guide. For each one we've noted whether lifeguards patrol it in summer and, where the councils test it, how its water has done over the last six summers.
At a glance
| City | Beach | Patrolled | Water record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whangārei | Ocean Beach, Whangārei Heads | Summer | Not graded yet |
| Auckland | Piha Beach | Summer | – |
| Pukekohe | Karioitahi Beach | No | – |
| Hamilton | Ngarunui Beach, Raglan | Summer | Excellent |
| Tauranga | Mount Maunganui Main Beach | Summer | Excellent |
| Rotorua | Ōhope Beach | – | Good |
| Taupō | Two Mile Bay | No | Not graded yet |
| Gisborne | Waikanae Beach | – | Poor, check first |
| Napier | Westshore Beach | Summer | Poor, check first |
| Hastings | Ocean Beach (Waipuka) | Summer holidays | Good (beach) |
| New Plymouth | Ōākura Beach | Summer | Fair |
| Whanganui | Castlecliff Beach | Summer | Fair |
| Palmerston North | Foxton Beach | Summer | Poor, check first |
| Wellington | Oriental Bay | – | Good at 2 of 3 spots |
| Nelson | Kaiteriteri Beach | – | Poor, check first |
| Blenheim | Whites Bay | Summer | – |
| Christchurch | Sumner Beach | – | Good |
| Timaru | Caroline Bay | – | Good at 2 of 3 spots |
| Dunedin | St Clair Beach | – | Good |
| Invercargill | Oreti Beach | Summer | Good |
North Island
Whangārei Heads, 40 to 45 min from the city
Ocean Beach, Whangārei Heads
- Surf beach
- Patrolled in summer
The main surf and swimming beach out at the Heads, at the end of Ocean Beach Road. A volunteer surf club has guarded it since 1968, and it's one of only a few patrolled beaches in the district, so swim between the flags.
Full guide on Explore WhangāreiMore swimming spots near Whangārei
West coast, 40 to 45 min from the CBD
Piha Beach
- Black sand
- Patrolled in summer
- Strong rips
Auckland's best-known surf beach: black sand, the Waitākere Ranges behind and Lion Rock in the middle. It's as dangerous as it is beautiful, with strong rips and unpredictable surf, so only swim between the lifeguard flags.
Full guide on Explore AucklandMore swimming spots near Auckland
About 30 min west of Pukekohe via Waiuku
Karioitahi Beach
- Black sand
- No lifeguards
- Walking and fishing
The closest west coast beach to Pukekohe, a long black-sand surf beach. It isn't one for a swim: the Tasman surf is powerful, rips are common and nobody patrols it. Come for the walk, the view or a spot of surfcasting.
Full guide on Explore PukekoheMore swimming spots near Pukekohe
About 10 min from Raglan, under an hour from Hamilton
Ngarunui Beach, Raglan
- Water: Excellent
- Patrolled in summer
- Surf school
Raglan's main beach for swimming and learning to surf, with the surf club on duty through the warmer months. Its water has one of the best records here: 98% of summer tests since 2019 were fine for swimming.
Full guide on Explore HamiltonMore swimming spots near Hamilton
Ocean side of the Mount, at the foot of Mauao
Mount Maunganui Main Beach
- Water: Excellent
- Patrolled in summer
- Toilets and showers
White sand, steady surf and a boardwalk the whole way along. Lifeguards are on in summer, and 98% of the council's summer tests at the surf club since 2019 passed.
Full guide on Explore TaurangaMore swimming spots near Tauranga
Just east of Whakatāne, a day trip from Rotorua
Ōhope Beach
- Water: Good
- 11 km of sand
- Learner surf
Eleven kilometres of white sand from the Ōhiwa Harbour entrance to West End. The sand shelves very gently, so the water stays shallow a long way out, which suits kids and first-time surfers.
Full guide on Explore RotoruaMore swimming spots near Rotorua
Southern edge of Taupō, off Mapou Road
Two Mile Bay
- Lake beach
- Calm water
- Toilets
Not the sea, but Lake Taupō's beaches are the Taupō summer. Two Mile Bay is a sheltered lakeside reserve with an easy way into the water, toilets and picnic spots, and a boat ramp (permit needed).
An easy walk from the city centre
Waikanae Beach
- City beach
- Gentle surf
- Check water first
Gisborne's city beach, with gentle surf a short walk from town. Check the latest result before a swim: its long-term water grade is Poor because of occasional high readings, mostly after rain.
Full guide on Explore GisborneMore swimming spots near Gisborne
About 10 min north of the city centre
Westshore Beach
- Family beach
- Patrolled in summer
- Playground
Napier's family swimming beach. The Marine Parade foreshore isn't safe for swimming, so locals head here, where the slope is gentler and lifeguards patrol in summer. There's a renewed playground by the sand.
About 35 min from Hastings or Havelock North
Ocean Beach (Waipuka)
- Golden sand
- Patrolled in summer holidays
A long, mostly undeveloped golden-sand beach over the hills from Havelock North. Lifeguards are on over the summer holidays. The beach itself tests well; the stream and lagoon at one end often don't.
Full guide on Explore HastingsMore swimming spots near Hastings
15 km south-west on Surf Highway 45
Ōākura Beach
- Family beach
- Patrolled in summer
- Water: Fair
The village beach at Ōākura, popular with families, with surf lifeguards in summer. Parking, showers, toilets, drinking water and a playground are all close to the sand.
Full guide on Explore New PlymouthMore swimming spots near New Plymouth
A short drive west of the city
Castlecliff Beach
- Black sand
- Patrolled in summer
- Water: Fair
Whanganui's main surf beach, a wide stretch of dark volcanic sand facing the Tasman. It's the town's patrolled swimming spot in summer; outside those times it's unguarded and the surf deserves respect. A playground and skate park are close by.
Full guide on Explore WhanganuiMore swimming spots near Whanganui
About 43 km south-west, 35 to 50 min drive
Foxton Beach
- River mouth
- Patrolled in summer
- Shared paths
A small beach settlement at the mouth of the Manawatū River. Swim in the patrolled area by the surf club in summer, and use the estuary and 8.5 km of shared paths for walking and biking.
Full guide on Explore Palmerston NorthMore swimming spots near Palmerston North
1.5 km from the CBD
Oriental Bay
- Calm harbour
- Free
- Cafés
The inner-city beach on Oriental Parade, with calm harbour water and a promenade of cafés behind it. Freyberg Beach next door has a playground and the pool. The council tests three spots and the results differ, so check the one nearest you.
Full guide on Explore WellingtonMore swimming spots near Wellington
South Island
About an hour from Nelson, 15 min from Motueka
Kaiteriteri Beach
- Golden sand
- Calm water
- Abel Tasman gateway
Golden sand and calm, clear water at the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park, good for swimming and kayaking. Check the latest water result in summer; the long-term grade is Poor because of occasional spikes.
About 24 km north, on the edge of the Sounds
Whites Bay
- Sheltered
- Patrolled in summer
- DOC campsite
The closest sandy swimming beach to Blenheim, a sheltered cove facing north-east, with lifeguards from the Rārangi club in summer. There's a DOC campsite and coastal walks right behind the beach.
Full guide on Explore BlenheimMore swimming spots near Blenheim
About 20 min from the city centre
Sumner Beach
- Water: Good
- Gentle waves
- By bus or car
Golden sand and gentle waves in the seaside village of Sumner, easy to reach by car or bus. Every one of the summer tests at the surf club since 2019 came back fine for swimming.
Full guide on Explore ChristchurchMore swimming spots near Christchurch
Beside the town centre
Caroline Bay
- Sheltered
- 34 ha park
- Free
Timaru's beach and park in one, sheltered by the harbour breakwater, with 34 hectares of parkland behind it and the CPlay playground. It's free and a few minutes' walk from town.
Minutes from the city centre
St Clair Beach
- Surf
- Water: Good
- Cafés on the Esplanade
Dunedin's surf beach, with cafés along the Esplanade and walks along the coast. Its water record is good: 96% of summer tests since 2019 passed.
Full guide on Explore DunedinMore swimming spots near Dunedin
10 to 11 km west of the city
Oreti Beach
- 26 km long
- Water: Good
- Patrolled in summer
A 26-kilometre beach on Foveaux Strait that you can drive onto at the main entrances. It's a local favourite for surfcasting and a summer swim, with patrols from the Oreti surf club and a good water record.
Full guide on Explore InvercargillMore swimming spots near Invercargill
Before you go
- Swim between the flags. Most of these beaches are patrolled only in summer, and only at set times. Check the surf club’s hours before you go, and stay out of the water on west coast beaches when nobody is on duty.
- Watch for rips. A rip looks like a calm, darker gap in the waves. If you’re caught in one, float, raise a hand and wait for help rather than swimming against it.
- Check the water. Councils test the popular beaches weekly over summer. Look up the latest result on LAWA’s Can I swim here?, and keep out for two days after heavy rain.
- Black sand gets hot. On sunny days the west coast sand can burn bare feet, so take jandals.
Questions people ask
Which of these beaches are patrolled?
Lifeguards patrol Ocean Beach at Whangārei Heads, Piha, Ngarunui, Mount Maunganui, Westshore, Ocean Beach (Waipuka), Ōākura, Castlecliff, Foxton Beach, Whites Bay and Oreti in summer. Patrol days and hours change each season, so check with the surf club.
Which have the cleanest water?
Of the beaches here, Ngarunui and Mount Maunganui Main Beach hold an Excellent grade on LAWA, and Sumner, St Clair, Oreti and Ōhope are graded Good. Grades are long-term, so a well-graded beach can still be unsafe after rain.
Which are best for young kids?
Ōhope, Westshore, Oriental Bay, Kaiteriteri, Two Mile Bay on Lake Taupō and Caroline Bay are sheltered or shallow. Piha and Karioitahi are not places for children to swim.
Can you drive on the beach?
At Oreti Beach you can drive onto the sand at the main entrances. Most other beaches don’t allow it; follow the local signs.
Looking for more in one city? See all 20 Explore city guides. Also see Waterfalls in New Zealand.