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New Zealand > Waikato
> Coromandel Peninsula > Hahei
By Jessica Lloyd
 A tiny place with a lot to offer
This little beach is tucked away up the Coromandel Peninsula, on the
country’s East Coast. The beach is named after a Maori priest named Hei, who
claimed the area as his own because one of the islands off the beach
resembled the side profile of his nose. Ha means “the breath of”, making the
literal translation “the breath of Hei”. The area at the north of Hahei
around to Cook’s Beach is a 9km marine reserve, and the snorkelling and
diving is excellent with crystal clear water allowing great visibility. The
underwater world is abundant with marine life, thanks to the reserve.
The People
The population in the off-season is about 500, but in summer this grows to
about 3,000. There are thousands of people daily passing through who don’t
actually stay there, because it is a popular spot for tourist buses such as
Kiwi Experience and Stray. These buses stop, send the travellers for a walk
to the Cove to have a look around, and then they get back on their bus and
head out of there, sometimes staying at Hahei Motor camp, a very large and
well facilitated camping area. Most of the people here are tourists and
there for a short time, but lots of people work there over the summer, and
live there. The base population is mostly made up of retirees, so if you are
looking for fun outside of summer, you may struggle.
Cathedral Cove
Its close proximity to popular Cathedral Cove means people can stop in Hahei
for food and drink, and then drive the short distance to the beginning of
the walk to the Cove. The walk itself takes about 40 minutes, and is very
easy, but extremely busy. At the peak of summer, it can be hard to find a
park in the car park! The aptly named arch of the rocks at Cathedral Cove is
made of ancient sandstone, and has been eroded by the sea over hundreds of
thousands of years. The Pohutakawa trees (affectionately known as the New
Zealand Christmas tree) line the beach, creating an interesting and
colourful backdrop. These trees line the coasts of the Coromandel Peninsula,
and only flower in early summer (at Christmas time).
Sea Kayaking
For the more adventurous, sea kayak companies go on trips up and down the
coast twice a day, with dusk kayaking available on request. A summer sunset
from the vantage point of a sea kayak is a real experience, with the water
lapping gently at the bow of the boat as the purple, orange and gold light
reflects off the sea. The guides are highly trained (and very friendly), and
the water around this area is usually calm and clear. Cathedral Cove Sea
Kayak Tours come highly recommended.
Snorkelling and Diving
The best area for snorkelling is Gemstone Bay, which is off a side-trail on
the walk to Cathedral Cove. There is a snorkelling trail in place that
allows you to learn about everything you pass. There are numerous islands
and reefs in the area, providing great diving adventures. Mahurangi and
Motueka Islands are popular spots within the marine reserve. There is a dive
shop here too, providing fuel, dive bottle refills, gear rental and daily
dive trips.
There are
reefs of hard rock, soft sediments,
intricate caves and underwater arches
which provide homes for complex
communities of plants, crustacea,
molluscs and fish. This area is
incorporated as the Cathedral
Cove Marine Reserve, covering 9 square
kilometres and is New Zealand's sixth marine reserve.
Timelessness
Time is not really an issue in this place; it runs mostly on daylight and
tides. It is very sleepy, and the view from the Pa (the Maori fort,
strategically placed on the hilltop) is really beautiful, giving you the
full view on both sides of the cliff. It is a great spot on a starry calm
night. You can see, and count, the lights visible on the seafront below,
indicating who is living here at one time. There are about 90 lights, and
that includes street lamps!
Food and Drink
There are a couple of restaurants here, with a high standard of food and
service (though service is always Coromandel Peninsula-Style, which is laid
back and relaxed – don’t expect five star dining and service, with all the
pretentiousness that goes along with it). Food is usually good, but the
range may be limited, depending on availability. Luna is a café-style
establishment, with indoor and outdoor dining and a good wine list, with a
varied and extensive menu. They are “open until they close” every night over
summer. There is also another restaurant called The Grange, and a takeaways
shop (essential to any self-respecting small seaside village). There is a
small general store which stocks just about everything, but puts a fairly
large margin on their products. If you are on a budget it is best to stock
up on things before you get there. They sell wine and beer.
Nightlife
Night-what? There is barely such a thing in this place, so if you need to
get your fix the nearest place to go is Whitianga. You can get there on the
ferry, but beware closing times of the ferry! You will need to get to Ferry
Landing, which is about 15 minutes away from Hahei by car. In summer, the
ferry runs from 6am – 11pm, but when it cools off there are gaps of an hour
between runs so it pays to check before you get all dressed up and have
nowhere to go.
Overall, Hahei is a beautiful, clean, chilled out spot to visit and is worth
checking out if you are in the area.
Accommodation
There are the usual range of high quality and expensive resort-style
accommodations, and cheap backpacker’s hostels. There are plenty of B&B’s to
choose from, but it would be advisable to book in advance if sleeping in the
car isn’t your cup of tea.
Hotels -
Motels
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