Dive Into Tairua New Zealand for
Hot Beach, Birding, and Bush Adventure

Tairua New Zealand makes a most convenient base for travelers to enjoy the many attractions offered in virtually any direction you turn in this North Island Coromandel Peninsula location.

Right in the heart are local scenic tours and guided walks. Horseback riding in the coastal bush wilderness can be arranged through Pine Treks. Manu Tours offers a range of nature tours, specializing in birding.

Native bush and pine forests 100-year old rainforest kauri trees, estuaries, and birding are abundant for New Zealand walking exploration, as well as river kayaking. Tairua Dive & Fishinn operates kayak, diving, and fishing tours. Other such sightseeing excursions to islands and reefs are possible through MV SeaQuest 111, MV Star Trek, and MV Taranui.

Many scheduled events appeal to tourism, such as art exhibitions, photo competitions, banc concerts, fishing tournaments, and wakeboard events. Tairua shopping includes boutique shops for clothing, gifts, and hardware in the village center. There’s also a great selection of restaurants and cafes in town.

A 20-minute drive from the village brings you to Hot Water Beach, a unique seaside attraction where visitors can dig in the sand to create their own thermal pool two hours each side of low tide.

A little further beyond is Hahei, where a 40-minute walk leads to secluded Cathedral Cove Beach, nestled within a marine reserve and accessible only via this walking track or by boat.

Nearby to the town are one day bush walks worth exploring. Off Tairua Hill Road, Sailor’s Grave, named for a sailor who drowned there in 1842, is accessible by foot or car.

Twenty four kilometers from Tairua, Puketui Valley features old gold mines and tunnels where glow worms can be seen. The river gorge area of Broken Hills is another walk off the turnoff at Kihuai that features 600-meter Collens Drive tunnel, picnicking, canoeing, trout fishing, and bird watching.

Just across the harbor, accessible by ferry, is Pauanui Ocean Beach for more fun in the sand and sun. There backpackers will also find exhilarating hiking and birding through wilderness climbs at Mt. Paku, rewarded with a commanding view of Pauanui Beach at the top. Gazebo Lookout has breathtaking 360-degree vistas of the harbor, sprawling holiday homes, and Coromandel mountain range.

As with most New Zealand vacation spots, accommodation is plentiful with quality hotels, resorts, homestays, backpackers, and B & B’s. Make Tairua your base for exploring the Coromandel Peninsula on your New Zealand vacation.

For a wonderful Tairua accommodation, try Tairua Beach House Backpackers.