Golden life on the beach
Tripadvisor has named Kaiteriteri Beach as one of the best in the world. Laura Hampson fondly recalls a childhood spent on its golden sands.
One of the first memories I have of Kaiteriteri Beach (known simply as ‘‘Kaiteri’’ to locals) is fishing just outside of its teal-hued harbour.
I must have been around 3 or 4 years old at the time when I felt a snag on the line. My cousin Scott, in his early teens by then, was helping me fish and together we reeled in a red cod. I still remember the feeling of reeling in that fish, the excitement when it came to the surface and we saw just how big it was, the disappointment when we threw it back as it was full of worms.
Memories like this pepper my childhood. Growing up in nearby Nelson, Kaiteri is where we would spend every holiday – Nelson Anniversary Weekend, Waitangi Day and Labour Day. The motor camp that backs onto it was where I first learnt to drive, had my first childhood crush and where I saw glowworms for the first time, too.
Our days would be spent on the beach, making castles in the golden sand and, at low tide, we’d walk to the rock pools to spot the crabs. Like most things in life, it’s only as I’ve got older that I’ve truly appreciated how beautiful Kaiteri really is – and now the world knows our little secret too.
Travel review site Tripadvisor has listed Kaiteriteri Beach as one of the best beaches in the world for 2021 at its annual Travellers’ Choice Awards. It placed ninth in the South Pacific category (which encompasses Australia and the Pacific Islands too), wedged between O¯ hope Beach in Whakata¯ ne (8th) and Mt Maunganui in Tauranga (10th).
It’s a wonder that it’s taken this long for it to be noticed, really. Its proximity to Abel Tasman National Park means it benefits from the golden sand beaches and calm, crystalline waters – but minus the hike to get there. While it’s only just being introduced to the world stage, it’s a spot that’s been beloved by Kiwis for decades.
Holidaying there in the late 90s and throughout the noughties, we saw first-hand how its popularity began to surge and the commercialism that came with it. First, it was the baches being built in neighbouring Little Kaiteri and Breakers Bay. Then, the dairy, the campground office and the fish and chip shop were replaced by a glossier beachfront restaurant (but there’s still a chippie at the back). Over the years the campground became busier and, as we entered our late teens, we stopped visiting at all, choosing to go camping with our friends in Pelorus or Ta¯ kaka instead.
It’s now been a decade since I lived in Nelson, leaving New Zealand for Australia when I was 18 and finding my way to the United Kingdom some time after that. Whenever I do come home (which likely won’t be any time soon thanks to the pandemic), Kaiteri is always one of the first stops. My uncle has built a house just around the corner, so we often use his kayaks to explore the bay. Swimming is now reserved for the quieter beaches. Dummy Bay, which you can get to by turning off earlier on the Kaiteri hill, is a firm favourite.
Now, living in London, the closest (and easiest to get to) beach is Brighton – but this is still an hour-and-a-half away by train and its pebbly beach and seaweedriddled waters pale in comparison to the gems we have at the top of the South. It’s only now I realise how much I took these for granted.
For some, Kaiteriteri is just a beautiful beach (one of the world’s best, in fact). But for me, every grain of sand holds a nostalgia-filled memory of childhood and of halcyon days spent with family – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.