Families and friends reunite at Waihī Beach

Groups of family and friends have been returning to Waihī Beach in their droves to see each other after weeks apart under Covid-19 Alert Levels 3 and 4. “Since Level 2 began the beach and village have been particularly busy at weekends,” said Nicky Austin of Waihī Beach Community Events & Promotions. “From Thursday afternoon right through Sunday, it has been wonderful to see our village buzzing”.

The mild May weather has helped too, with plenty of blue-sky days and moderate temperatures making the beach an ideal place to get together. Cousins Wendy Morgan and Gail Newcome of Katikati chose Waihī Beach as their destination for a first outing together. For them, it was more about reuniting with the beach. “We live near each other and shared our bubble, but during lockdown, we didn’t go out. This was the first outing for the car in all those weeks. The beach was gorgeous, just what we needed,” said Gail.

Angela Stewart and her husband Jimmy met up with best friend Amanda, partner Brian and their one-year-old son for a weekend away from Auckland. Staying at the Top10, the group of friends enjoyed a round of golf in Waihī, dinner at the Waihī Beach RSA and fish and chips on the beach. “Being only two hours drive from Auckland made Waihī Beach perfect for our short getaway,” said Angela.

A family of orcas also joined in the fun on the first Saturday of Level 2. As word spread via social media, the foreshore was flooded with visitors hoping to spot the whales who were out cruising behind the breakers.