Hot Water Beach

Great little beach with bubbling hot springs under the sand. Some are scalding hot, so be sure to mix hot pools with cool pools! Only really worth the time about 2 hours before low tide to two hours after low tide. Get there early, or make some friends quickly. There are only a couple of spots that generate the hot pools. But it’s fun, and you get to meet new people since it’s packed. There is a spade rental before the beach, and if I remember it’s NZ$5 with NZ$20 deposit. There is a small swimming area with lifeguards, but I have also heard that there is a rip, so keep your children close if that’s a concern of yours. My kids stayed on the beach and only at the edge of the water. We all had a blast!