Coastal Holidays in New Zealand
Whangamata, New Zealand is an ideal destination for coastal holidays. It is especially popular with the surfer crowd, but the beach town has plenty of other charms as well. Whangamata is located just a two hour drive from Auckland traveling over the Hauraki plains and the Kopu bridge.
A new bridge is currently under construction to replace the old single lane bridge, in order to accommodate the increased traffic on this route which winds up over Coromandel divide and down to Whangamata. This small town of just 4000 sees its population jump more than 10 fold during the summer high season and it's easy to see why. The beaches here offer some of the best surfing in the country. For fun, treats and eats in town, locals recommend Cafe Rossini which is one of several village cafes lining the main street.