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Whangamata Beach

(Coromandel)

Whangamata Beach
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Events

Oct
16
Thinking of Living in a Retirement Village
The Commission for Financial Capability is running free seminars about living in retirement villages. The seminars focus on things to consider before choosing to live in a retirement village and provide practical tips ... More ►
Dec
28
Annual Market Day
The Whangamata Summer Festival hosts our Annual Markets in Williamson Park, Whangamata * With the Annual Craft Market having run for over twenty years, it is safe to say this market is the largest in the region! ... More ►
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Whangamata Beach

Whangamata Beach is one of the Coromandel's most well known locations. During the height of summer there are literally thousands of people in and around the water keeping Whangamata Lifeguards very busy. The beach can be good for surfing during large swells. The beach is generally safe but swimmers are advised to stay away from the northern and southern ends of the beach. If in doubt ask the Lifeguards (there will usually be someone at the Surf Life Saving Club).

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Family friendly

This beach is well suited for families, make sure your family is prepared for the beach conditions, the beach is patrolled by Surf Lifeguards during the summer months.

Swimming

Swimming is very popular with thousands of people swimming on any one day during the height of the summer. The beach is generally safe and usually has small gentle waves. Whangamata does however get large swells on a regular basis during the summer and can be dangerous, especially considering that there are great numbers of tourists in the area. Of particular concern is the harbour entrance, around the river mouth and around the Islands where strong rips are commonly present. Whangamata Surf Life Saving Club is located centrally on the beach and this is by far the safest area for swimming.

Surfing

Whangamata Beach break can provide good waves from time to time but the best waves are located at the northern end around the harbour entrance. This wave is called the Whanga Bar and it has excellent left-hand waves when the swell is large enough. Unfortunately the wave is generally crowded when it is worth surfing.

Fishing

The harbour mouth and river mouth will usually have anglers present. The Whangamata Wharf is a popular spot all year round for ocean fishing. Boats can be launched from the Whangamata Harbour at the northern end of the beach.

Activities and facilities

Activities

  • Canoeing/kayaking
  • Dog walking
  • Scuba diving
  • Shell fish gathering
  • Wind/kite surfing

Facilities

  • Car parking
  • Changing facilities
  • Food and beverage kiosk
  • Playground
  • Public toilets
  • Shower

Safety

The beach is our favourite playground, but it can also be a dangerous place. Learn about the hazards at Whangamata Beach and be prepared so you and your family can enjoy the sun, sea and sand safely this summer.

Hazards

Large breaking waves
Strong rips/currents
Sudden drop off

Patrols

Patrolled Beach
Whangamata Beach is a patrolled beach.
Stay safe - swim beween the flags.

Forecast provided by SwellMap.com

Mainly clear with some cloud
9°c
Max Temp.
15°c
Water Temp.

Wind

Still
12 kph
West

Swell

Small
0.2m
North East

Water Conditions

For boating and surfing
Average. 6/10
6
Poor. 3/10
3

Tides

7-day Forecast ► Forecast for Tuesday 17 Sep 2019, 3Am
Swellmap.com

Safety at Whangamata Beach

We want you to have a great time whilst visiting Whangamata Beach. But take a moment to learn more about being safe on New Zealand Beaches. More ►

Patrolled Beach

Patrolling club: Whangamata SLSC ►
Patrolled Beach
Whangamata Beach is a patrolled beach.
Stay safe - swim beween the flags.
 

Patrol Hours

Whangamata Beach is patrolled on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays from 20 October 2018 to 22 April 2019. Volunteer lifeguards patrol from 11:00am to 4:00pm on Saturdays and 10:00am to 4:00pm on Sundays from 20 October 2018 to 16 December 2018. Between 22 December 2018 and 10 February 2019 hours are extended to 10:00am to 5:00pm all weekend. From the 16 February 2019 to 22 April 2019 lifeguards patrol from 11:00am to 5:00pm on Saturdays and 10:00am to 4:00pm on Sundays.
A Regional Lifeguard Service operates Monday to Friday from 10:00am to 6:00pm from 17 December to 1 February 2019.

Hazards

Large breaking waves
Large breaking waves
Strong rips/currents
Strong rips/currents
Sudden drop off
Sudden drop off

Click a safety symbol for more information on the risk

4 simple rules to keep you safe

We want you to have a great time whilst visiting Whangamata Beach. But take a moment to learn more about being safe on New Zealand beaches and looking out for each other. More ►

The Water Safety Code:

  • Be prepared
  • Watch out for yourself and others
  • Be aware of the dangers
  • Know your limits
DIAL 111 in the event of an emergency

Location

Whangamata Beach is located 86 kilometres north of Tauranga. The beach is 4000 metres in length and faces towards the northeast, at its central point is Whangamata Surf Life Saving Club. The beach is a unique set up. At the northern end there is a harbour inlet (Whangamata Harbour). The central beach area has a large curve in it. Located just slightly south of the Surf Life Saving Club is Hauturu Island and a few other smaller islands and large rocks. Continue to the southern most point on the beach and you reach Otahu River mouth that runs along the small headland. Whangamata Beach is golden sand and is very appealing to the eye. It has a well established permanent population and this increases greatly over the summer months with holiday makers and tourists boosting the population of Coromandel beaches.

Public Transport

Bus: NO only bus stop outside Thames Coromandel

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Beach Water Quality

The Overall Recreation Risk is a guide to give a general picture of water quality at a site. Updated annually, it is calculated from bacteria (enterococci) data collected over the last three years. The Overall Recreation Risk indicator is a precautionary approach to managing health risk and is not designed to represent health risk on a particular day. As such, a site can have an Overall Recreation Risk of ‘Caution’ but still be suitable for swimming some of the time.

Overall recreation risk

The long term risk status based on three years of data

NO DATA

There is not enough data to generate a recreational risk grade.

Many councils also provide the results of their weekly monitoring. This lets people know what the most recent bacteria levels were. Remember, even sites with low risk can be unsuitable to swim at from time to time and we recommend that you avoid swimming for 48 hours after heavy rainfall.

Visit lawa.org.nz for further information on recreational water quality and in season monitoring over summer ►

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