Whangamata Overview

With 4km of white sand cradling an island-studded bay, Whangamata (fahn-ga-muh-TAH; pop. 5000) deserves its reputation as one of North Island’s top surf spots. Apart from the summer surfers scattered on its shores, Whangamata is delightfully residential and hospitable.

Transportation. No major bus lines run to Whangamata; local shuttles carry passengers out to meet them. Make arrangements at the Whangamata i-Site, 616 Port Rd. (☎865 8340; www.whangamatainfo.co.nz. Open M-Sa 9am-5pm, Su 9am-5pm. In winter Su 10am-2pm.) Intercity runs to Auckland (4hr.; 1 per day; $59, backpackers $50, students and seniors $47), Rotorua (5hr.; 1 per day; $54/46/44), and Taupo (6hr.; 1 per day; $90/76/73), among other destinations. Go Kiwi (☎866 0336 or 0800 446 549) runs to Auckland ($70), Auckland airport ($78), Rotorua ($56), and Whitianga ($33). Whangamata Tours offers a shuttle to Waihi for connections to Tauranga. (☎863 8627 or 025 727 708. 30min.; 1 per day; $20.) Whangamata Taxi (☎865 8294) zooms around town if you really can’t bear the walk.

Orientation And Practical Information. Port Road is the main drag. The Whangamata i-Site (see above) can reserve tours. Other services include: Westpac Trust Bank, 606 Port Rd. (☎865 0600; open M-F 9am-4:30pm); Whangamata Medical Centre, 103 Lincoln Rd. (☎865 8032; open M-F 8:30am-5:30pm, Sa 9am-12:30pm); Internet access at Bartley Internet and Graphics, 706 Port Rd. (☎865 8832; $3 per 15min., $10 per hr.; open M-F 9am-6pm, Sa 10am-4pm); and a post office, 600 Port Rd. (☎865 8230; open M-F 8am-4:45pm, Sa 9am-noon).

Accommodations And Camping. The Whangamata Backpackers Hostel (BBH) , 500m south of the town center on Port Rd. at Mayfair Ave., are clean, comfortable, and very green. (☎865 9580; www.thesouthpacific.co.nz. Reception 8:30am-8pm. Dorms $26; doubles $63; motel units from $110. MC/V.)

Food. The summer influx of surfers causes Whangamata’s dining scene to sizzle; things lower to a simmer in the winter. Vibes Cafe , 638 Port Rd., brings the beach indoors with sand paintings on its walls. Salads ($10-14) are the highlight of the menu. (☎865 7121. Open daily 8am-5pm. AmEx/MC/V.) Phil’s Takeaways , set back from Port Rd. side between the post office and the surf shop, serves up burgers, tacos, and burritos ($5-8) for cheap. (☎865 8351. Open M-Tu 11am-8pm, W-Su 11am-late. Cash only.) Get fresh food at Quarry Orchards, 612 Port Rd., next to the post office. (☎865 8282. Open daily 7am-6pm.)

Outdoor Activities. Most come to Whangamata to marinate in the sun and to take low-tide wades out to Hauturu Island (a.k.a. Clark Island). Check with the visitors center about accessibility. Surfers say the best waves are near the mouth of the harbor. Whangamata Surf Shop, 634 Port Rd., is owned by a longtime surfer who rents boards and wetsuits at fair prices. (☎865 8252. Surfboard $40 per day; wetsuits $15; boogie boards $20. Open daily 9am-5pm.)

Good hiking and biking trails abound in the 12,890-hectare Tairua Forest, north of town. Wentworth Valley, down Wentworth Valley Rd., 3km south of town on SH25, is the center for outdoor activities in Whangamata. The river valley’s walks are strewn with mine shafts. A 2hr. walk leaves the campsite 1 (tent sites $9) and heads up to Wentworth Falls. At low tide, the cramped sea tunnel at Pokohino Beach leads to a rocky cove with isolated white sand. A short, steep walk leads to the beach from a parking lot at the end of Pokohino Rd., a forest road that branches off Onemana Rd. 6km north of Whangamata on SH25. The Tairua Forest is owned by Matariki Forests Company, and while hiking on their land is free, biking requires a $10 monthly permit, available at the i-Site. Whangamata Mowers and Cycles, 652 Port Rd., provides mountain bikes. (☎865 8096. $7.50 per hr., $25 for 4hr., $50 per day. Deposit $50.) Classic hot rods, dragsters, and motorcycles parade through the streets of Whangamata each year in late April for the Beach Hop, a 5-day festival celebrating the culture, fashion, and music of the 50s and 60s. Attendance in past years has been estimated at 70,000 (www.beachhop.co.nz).