Waipu

Stroll along the white sand beaches of Bream Bay

By Bachchat staff

Waipu and Waipu Cove are at the centre of Bream Bay’s giant arc of white sand shaped by the often gentle but sometimes tumultuous Pacific Ocean. This huge sweep of pristine beach is framed by dramatic headlands and alluring but forbidden Hen and Chicken Islands, home of tuatara and tieke (saddleback).

Wander for hours along the sandy shores, body surf on the rolling waves, cast a line and catch your dinner from boat or shoreline, or share your thoughts with the visiting and resident seabirds that take refuge at the Waipu estuary; amongst them you will spot the New Zealand dotterel, variable oyster catcher, wrybill, reef heron and the now critically endangered NZ fairy tern.

The quaint village ambience of Waipu belies the struggles of the town’s founders who migrated from the Scottish Highlands to Nova Scotia in the 1700s then on to Waipu via Australia in the 1850s, a remarkable journey told in fascinating detail at the local museum.

Where to stay

Waipu Cove | Waipu

What to do

• Admire the glow worms in the Waipu Caves
• Delve into the town’s Scottish history at the Waipu Museum
• Look for nesting godwits at nearby Ruakaka
• Stroll along the beach at Waipu Cove

More info

• Waipu Museum

 

Getting there

• From Whangarei by road: 40km
• From Auckland by road: 125km