This beach’s name directly relates to an underground hot spring that filters up through the sand between the high and low water tidal reaches.
Hot Water Beach is one of the region's most fascinating places. For one hour either side of low tide, you can dig in the sand for hot spring water and make your own spa pool. It's good fun summer and winter. Spades for digging your pool are available for hire. For information about the tide at Hot Water Beach follow this link: http://www.whitianga.co.nz/tidetable.html.
With a spade and a small amount of effort, visitors can be rewarded with their very own beachside bathtub, or if they’ve missed the 2-hour tidal gap, they can simply relax on the beach and enjoy the surrounding wildness of cliff and surf.
Located on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, the beach is a common attraction for both locals and visitors to the Whitianga area.
Image by Steve & Jem Copley.