New Zealand’s Best Beach 2021
Each day this week, we’re profiling two much-loved Kiwi seaside spots in our quest to find New Zealand’s best beach. We asked readers for nominations and we’ve narrowed that down to 10 finalists and three wildcards chosen by the Herald Travel team. Vote for your favourite and help us crown a winner — go to nzherald.co.nz. The Best Beach 2021 winner will be announced in the Herald on Sunday on January 31.
One is “the picture-perfect beach” — golden sand, turquoise water, treecovered headlands, classic crescent shape. The other (see below) was created by an entirely different force of nature: property developers.
The only Te Waipounamu South Island spot to make our readers’ list of their 10 best beaches, Kaiteriteri has been a favourite holiday spot for Mainlanders for generations.
With a beautiful estuary at the entrance to the township and its long stretch of sand, the secret has got out in recent years — Kaiteriteri is famous as the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park as well as regular appearances on Instagram and lists of the world’s best beaches. The sand and campgrounds are packed in peak summer.
That naturally curving beach means the water is usually extremely calm. The estuary is particularly good for kids; check currents and tides, though. As well as kayaking, standup paddleboarding and the usual water sports, there are waka tours and cruises into the national park.
The place caters well for families
— a playground across the road from the beach, public barbecue areas, a flying fox and mini-golf.
Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park is one of the sport’s premier locations in this country. Volunteers have built trails from wicked downhills for adrenaline junkies to long tracks for more sedate pedal-pushers.
If you’re not one of those lucky people who’ve reserved their berth every year since the Treaty was signed, you’ll likely be out of luck in the usual holiday periods. However, Kaiteriteri is delightful and worth visiting at almost any time of the year.
Across the road from the main beach, Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve Camping Ground has 400 powered sites, cabins and new apartments.
Bethany Park is another large campground, in the hills a little way back from the water, with 200-plus sites. In the village, Kaiteri Lodge (that’s what locals and long-timers call the place) has family and backpacker rooms. It’s a bit of a hike to the beach, though — about 10 seconds.
One of our key criteria in this quest is kai — and Kaiteriteri punches above its weight.
The waterfront store is the go-to place for ice-creams in the heat of the day; in the cool of the evening, it’s fish’n chips or maybe gourmet burgers on the beach as the sun goes down, courtesy of Gone Burgers.
Tasman is famous for wines, beers and ciders. Enjoy them close to the source at the Beached Whale, a lively pub, or Kai restaurant and bar, owned and operated by the domain board. No surcharge for views of the beach and boats moored in the bay.