Whangamatā

Whangamatā has one of the better swimming and surfing beaches on the Coromandel — four kilometres of white sand with a river mouth at the northern end that produces the town's well-known surf break. It is a proper summer town, busy in January and pleasantly empty either side of it.

Whenuakura, the island off the northern end, can be reached on foot across the sand about two hours either side of low tide. It is a wildlife reserve with a lagoon in the middle, and the walk out is one of those things that feels like a secret even though everyone in town knows about it. Check the tide before you set off and leave well before it turns.

The town has enough to it that you do not need to drive anywhere — a good bakery, a surf shop and a supermarket within walking distance of the campgrounds. It is roughly two and a half hours from Auckland, which makes it a realistic second night on a Coromandel loop.