Hahei Overview

The name Hahei (HA-hey; pop. 5400) stems from Chief Hei of the Arawa canoe, one of the original seven Maori canoes that docked somewhere off the coast around AD 1350. Today, most visitors to Hahei stop for the waters of Cathedral Cove Marine Reserve and the steaming pools at nearby Hot Water Beach.

Transportation. Go Kiwi (☎866 0336) runs vans from the Ferry Landing to Hot Water Beach, Hahei, Shakespeare Reserve, Purangi Winery, and Cooks Beach. (Departure times vary daily to suit the tide. Book 3hr. prior to departure. $35, min. 3 people.) The Purgani Winery (☎866 3724 or 021 262 5742) also runs a shuttle service from the Ferry Landing to Cooks Beach or the winery ($5, min. 5 people), Hahei ($10, min. 2 people), or Hot Water Beach ($15, min. 2 people), as well as a shuttle between the latter two ($5, min. 2 people).

Accommodations And Food.  Tatahi Lodge (BBH) , on Grange Rd., has the distinct advantage of being in Hahei instead of Whitianga. Its solid wood bunkbeds, inviting lounge, and affable crowd foster post-beach bliss. (☎866 3992; www.dreamland.co.nz/tatahilodge. Book ahead in summer. Linens $3. Dorms $22; twins and doubles $60; cottages and motel units $120-220, $15 per extra person. AmEx/MC/V.) Hahei Holiday Resort , at the end of Harsant Ave., are posh for their genre. (☎866 3889; www.cathedralcove.co.nz. Dorms $22; twins and doubles $50. Tent sites $14; powered and caravan sites $15-17. Prices for non-backpacker units jump in high season. MC/V.) The Hahei Store, on Beach Rd., sells groceries and doubles as a post shop. (☎866 3885. Open daily 8:30am-7:30pm, in winter daily 8:30am-5:30pm.) Around the corner next to the Tatahi Lodge, Luna Cafe has a rotating menu with salads, pizza, and other meals for under $15 until 2:30pm, after which time the Cafe turns into a restaurant with considerably steeper prices. (☎866 3016. Open daily 9am-“until we’ve closed.” In winter M and Th-Su. AmEx/MC/V.)

Outdoor Activities. Hahei’s beach is sheltered by offshore islands, providing perfect calm for swimmers. Surfers head to Hot Water Beach for the bigger breaks. To the south of Hahei rises the dramatic bluff of Hereheretaura Point, an ideal spot for an old Maori pa; cross the creek at the beach’s end and follow the path (1hr. round-trip) for 360˚ views. To the north, around a green hill, gaze out at the small islands speckling the ocean and amble down to the Cathedral Cove Marine Reserve (Te Whanganui-a-Hei). To reach the majestic rock formations over the cove, you can either walk from the beach or turn left past the Hahei Store to reach the 1hr. track to the cove (45min. from the parking lot atop the hill). The hugely popular path snakes through pastures and descends hundreds of steps.

Gemstone Bay contains a snorkeling path, with buoys arranged informing swimmers what they might see below. The next stop, Stingray Bay, has been temporarily closed due to landslides. These two bays, however, are merely preludes to neighboring Mare’s Leg Cove and the famous  Cathedral Cove. With a pristine, white beach and arching rocks, this idyllic expanse of subtropical water is only accessible through a stone archway carved out by the sea (which might require a short wade at high tide). To enjoy the cove’s many splendors, swim out to the warped stone formations, or sample the freshwater falls trickling over the white cliffs. For a closer look at some of the bay’s more distinctive ecological features, take a guided kayak trip with Cathedral Cove Sea Kayaking, which includes pickup from the Ferry Landing for Whitianga-based folk. Studly Nathan gives a briefing on geology, biology, local history, and percolation. (☎866 3877 or 0800 529 258; www.seakayaktours.co.nz. Half-day trips $75.) Nigel and his Hahei Explorer provide motorized scenic trips any time of the year to explore the local islands, hidden caves and archways, and a cavernous 30m blowhole. (☎866 3910; www.haheiexplorer.co.nz. 1hr. $59.) He also rents snorkel gear with wetsuits ($35 per day). The organic Purangi Winery, situated on the road between Ferry Landing, Hahei, and the Hot Water Beach area, makes 23 varieties of wines and liqueurs, and will let you taste them for free. (☎866 3724; www.purangi.co.nz. Shuttle service available. Open daily 10am-8pm. Call ahead.)