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New Zealand > Waikato
> Coromandel > Whangamata
By Jessica Lloyd
The Atmosphere
Relaxed, completely. There is nothing pretentious about Whangamata, it is just
a little seaside village where people go to escape the bump and grind of
daily life. Lots of people. The population swells from 4,000 permanent
residents to around 50,000 visitors in summer – a huge leap. About half of
the homes in Whangamata are holiday homes. It also provides opportunities
for a different kind of bumping and grinding, like music festivals, dance
parties, and beach parties to name a few. There is something going on every
night and every day during summer, so being bored is not really an option
unless you have absolutely no imagination or are wishing you were somewhere
else with someone else.
The lack of expectation makes Whangamata what it is, where everyone is just
having a good time in the sun and surf. It isn’t particularly quiet; there
are hoons and hooligans and plenty of over-indulged people of all ages
yahooing and causing riots. New Year’s Eve is always a blast, though they
have enforced 48 hour alcohol bans. This means none can be bought into
Whangamata after a certain time and the police will check your cars and
empty your booze into the grass: a hideous waste, all in the name of order!
Nothing very bad ever happens here; it is the seaside village of love. If
you come here, you will probably be smiling right ‘til the minute you leave.
What’s to do in Whangamata?
Aside from the obvious – all water sports, fishing, sunbathing, perving –
there is also a mini putt course, beautiful fresh water swimming holes, and
walking tracks not far from the township. There is a number of other nearby
tourist attractions and villages to visit, such as Hahei, with Cathedral
Cove just up the road, or Cook’s Beach where Captain Cook first landed the
Endeavour and put New Zealand on the map.
Whangamata’s Swollen Population
There is plenty to do here, though the beach is certainly the best and most
popular part. The town itself is cute and reasonably well set out. The
influx of visitors has ensured that plenty of money and effort has been
spent keeping the town and roads in a decent state, and able to cope with
the pressures.
The People
It is quite likely that you won’t actually meet anyone from Whangamata while
you are there. This is normal, and not necessarily a bad thing, meaning,
there are tons of very interesting individuals and groups you can meet here
aside from the lovely locals. The locals are very tolerant, and have by now
guarded their properties sufficiently to avoid getting angry at drunken
youths removing plants from gardens, or making out noisily under their
bedroom windows. Both of which are entirely predictable activities for the
thousands of young people who love visiting Whangamata in the summertime.
Getting To Whangamata
It is about two hours from Auckland (in good traffic, if it is a busy summer
weekend expect delays) and about 1 ½ hours from Tauranga and Hamilton.
Summertime traffic gets pretty slow because roads are often winding and
sometimes steep. International visitors are recommended to land in Hamilton
or Auckland, and make their way by tour bus or hire car from there.
Beach Hop Whangamata
This event began in 2001, and has grown to be the largest specialty car show
in New Zealand, the second largest rock ‘n’ roll festival in the Southern
Hemisphere, and the largest festival on the Coromandel Peninsula. These
three titles make Beach Hop Whangamata a fantastic five days of fun for
everyone. In the first year there were 4000 people, and in 2006, there was a
massive 70,000. 2007 will no doubt be bigger again. It is always held in
April, and is not for profit. All money raised goes to water safety
organisations. To find out more about this festival see
website.
Party Central
If you are looking for the craziness of summer fun in all its underage
glory, Whangamata is the place to be. New Years Eve parties at this small
seaside town have been known to get completely out of hand and require riot
police and complete liquor bans in public places for 48 hours. Because the
town is flat and right up to the sea, all the houses are in rows on neat and
orderly streets. This makes it really easy to wander around and find other
people to play with in the midnight hours. There are also a couple of good
bars and restaurants, which are normally very busy.
Surfing
Whanga (short for, and pronounced “Wonga” by those who know and love the
place) is a popular surfing spot, which has a
forecast and conditions
website set up so you can view the surf at home on the net before heading
out. Luckily the beach is big enough for everyone, because it is not just a
surfer’s paradise! Surf Reports.
Accommodation
As you would expect of a town that gets 50,000 people crowding it every
summer, many local business’s revolve around giving all these people beds to
sleep in. There is a huge range of holiday accommodation available, from
cutesy B&B’s, to luxury resorts. There is also a backpacker’s hostel which
is always packed to the gills with party animals of the younger and wilder
sort.
Bushland
Park Lodge Coromandel Peninsula
 Situated
in the heart of the rural Wentworth Valley, Bushland Park Lodge Coromandel
Peninsula is less than 10 minutes drive from Whangamata Township and the
beach. Surrounded by farmland and native forest with a number of walking
trails, the lodge is a two-hour walk to the Wentworth Falls. An 18-hole golf
course is located just 5 minutes drive away. Set in two hectares of
park-like grounds, Bushland Park Lodge combines old world charm and
tranquility with a touch of modern day luxury. The residence offers four
comfortable guest rooms together with full dining facilities including a
winery style gourmet dining room. Guests can choose their accommodation
from well-equipped deluxe suites to cosy rooms. Nickel Strausse, a Black
Forest winery restaurant, is styled like showcasing European gourmet cuisine
matched with superb New Zealand and international wines. Celebrate birthday
or wedding with a variety of facilities offered or enjoy a romantic escape
with wellness treatments.
Website.
History
The Whangamata hills were, like the rest of the Coromandel Peninsula,
heavily logged back in the day. That ‘day’ in particular was the 1880’s, and
resulted in the present rarity of Kauri trees. 1873 saw the area opened for
gold mining, logging, and gum digging. The town grew, and in 1872 the
Auckland to Wellington telegraph line was diverted from Waikato. It was put
just south of Whangamata to avoid the bloodshed of land wars.
The Otahu and Wharekawa Rivers floated all the Kauri logs down to the Tairua
or Whitianga mills to be processed. The Wentworth River couldn’t be used for
logs because of the Wentworth Falls. The Wentworth Falls are now a beautiful
spot for a scenic walk.
There are a few pa sites on the Peninsula, and one in Whangamata which looks
over the Wentworth Bridge. There are a few signs of early Maori (and even
pre-Maori) inhabiting the area. There was also a large number of moa bones
found near the Wharf.
The Otahu Estuary was used at low tide to travel to and from Waihi, before
the clay road was built in the 1920’s. In 1873 the first shop was opened in
Whangamata to serve the miners and gum diggers. Gold mining ended in around
1929, though was never consistent since its beginning in 1887. One of the
most accessible mining sites, Luck at Last Mine, can be visited and old
mining relics looked at. The first hotel was opened in 1892, a couple of
stores, and a school in 1897. There were regular paddle steamers and boats
from Auckland. The first sections for holiday homes were sold in 1929
Coromandel
Accommodation
Hotels -
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