Waihi Beach’s shoreline is around ten kilometres long and is suitable for safe swimming and surfing. There are also coastal walks, cycling routes and activities focused on local history and culture. For your planning, it’s worth looking closely at the different options: Orokawa Bay, for example, is a destination for coastal views and picnics, but is not suitable for safe swimming.
Beach and Surfing
Waihi Beach Surf School offers surf lessons for adults and children, as well as surf packages. All instructors are experienced surfers and hold NZSA accreditation as surf instructors from Level 1, a beach lifeguard qualification and a first aid certificate. So the local offering includes both lessons and the team’s qualifications.
Swimming at Orokawa Bay is different from swimming at the long stretch of Waihi Beach: the bay’s beach is considered unsafe for swimming because the seabed drops away steeply. Picnicking under overhanging pōhutukawa trees is popular around the bay. Fishing from the rocks is also possible at the northern end of the bay.
Coastal Walks and Cycling
The Orokawa Bay Track starts at the northern end of Waihi Beach and offers views of the Pacific Ocean and Waihi Beach. In the wider Western Bay of Plenty District, the Orokawa Bay Walk runs from the northern end of Waihi Beach across the coastal headlands to Orokawa Bay. It takes around 45 minutes each way; tides and swell affect access. The walk passes through dense bush with pōhutukawa, kauri and pūriri trees, as well as native nīkau palms. Orokawa Bay is part of a 145-hectare scenic reserve.
As an alternative walking option, the Forest Loop via the Trig Trail on the Waihī Beach Trig & Forest Loop takes 90 minutes return. The two time estimates refer to different walks and therefore are not directly comparable: the Orokawa Bay Walk time is given one way, while the Forest Loop time includes the return journey.
There are also different ways to explore by bike. The Waihī Beach Cycle Trail is an informal extension of the Hauraki Rail Trail and makes a day ride from Paeroa to Waihi Beach possible. A scenic cycling route between North End and Bowentown has clearly marked signposts.
Local History and Culture in the Western Bay of Plenty District
In Waihi Beach, the self-guided Heritage Trail visits seventeen points of interest along four loops. It offers a different focus from surfing, cycling or coastal walking: here, local history takes centre stage. The four loops give the trail its structure, while the self-guided format lets you go at your own pace.
There are also cultural and food experiences elsewhere in the Western Bay of Plenty District. The loop in Katikati Town Centre runs from Haiku Park along paths with haiku poems carved into rocks and the pavement, beside Uretara Stream and across a footbridge to Uretara Landing. From there, it follows the main road to murals and other artworks in the town centre. The Katikati Cuisine Trail offers the chance to meet local artisan food producers and try their products on site. Individual producers and offerings may change.
The choices range from the beach and surf lessons to coastal walks of varying lengths, as well as cycling and cultural experiences.
More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Lower Kaimai, Aongatete, Pukehina, Papamoa, Pyes Pa, Te Puna, Tahawai, Paengaroa.
Go to the overview of the wider destination: Western Bay of Plenty District.
