New Zealand’s Hahei Beach to Cathedral Cove Water Taxi
On a recent trip to New Zealand, my wife, who I affectionately call “Green,” and I went exploring around the North Island. A few hours’ drive from Auckland, the Coromandel Peninsula is roughly 50 miles long by 25 miles wide (85 by 40 km). The 250 miles (400+ km) of coastline on the peninsula include rugged, rocky outcroppings, sandy beaches, river inlets, and amazing views of the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Hauraki Gulf to the west. It is an unbelievably beautiful part of the world, and my only regret is that we did not have time to explore more. We had heard about a famous beach area called Cathedral Cove that has a unique rock archway and wanted to check it out, but our schedule didn’t really allow for the hilly three-mile (5 km) round-trip hike that we were told could take 1.5 hours or more. There are also steep stairs that descend to the beach which didn’t seem ideal for my injured knee that was already hurting a bit. Green discovered that there is a water taxi that goes from Hahei Beach around the point to Cathedral Cove. What could be better? We could see Cathedral Cove and get a boat ride too!
The Cathedral Cove water taxi is unlike others I have been on because it launches directly off the beach. The boat is a New Zealand built Smuggler 800 which has both wheels and an outboard engine. This collared boat looks like a RIB but the tubes are not inflatable and includes a removeable section of the hull that is placed on the sand adjacent to the boat and used as a step for boarding. They don’t take reservations so there can be a line, but the ferry runs every 30 minutes from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM conditions permitting, and holds 14 people plus the captain, so worst case you have to wait a trip or two.
We made our way down the steps from the parking area and out on the beach to the yellow flag where we paid the attendant $80 NZ each round trip which at the time was around $50 US. There are reduced rates for children and family packages are also offered. We waited in line with some others and soon the outboard powered water taxi came zooming in from around the rocky point that borders Hahei Beach. Small waves of less than 3’ (1 meter) lapped at the sandy shore. The boat pulled up just outside the surf zone and pointed out into the bay. Then it lowered its wheels and slowly backed up. When it got close enough to touch bottom, the captain shut down the outboard, raised the motor, and backed onto the beach with the knobby tired wheels propelling the craft. The boat then lowered down and tilted slightly to starboard. The attendant lifted out the removeable section of the gunnel, set it down as a step and the return passengers disembarked.
We then loaded up into the water taxi sitting on cushioned bench seats. The rail was placed back in and the boat raised up on the wheels to drive slowly into the surf. Once we reached deeper water, the outboard engine lowered, the wheels retracted, and we sped off for cathedral cove. The run from Hahei to Cathedral Cove is a majestic 15-minute ride. With the beach behind us, rocky islands broke the surface of the elegant green sea. Along the edges of the bay, similar rock walls rose up from the water forming jagged cliff faces. Gazing out at the rocky islands that dot the coast fading miles into the distance, I thought of what a wonderful underwater playground this is. The area is an ideal location for scuba diving when conditions allow and is an excellent habitat for fish and other ocean creatures. For boating, it is spectacularly beautiful.
Soon we rounded the point and were making our way into Cathedral Cove. The beach area is tucked between rock faces with trees lining the cliff sides above and water dripping down the faces. A small river of water runs toward the sea along one side of the beach. Boulders scattered along the edge of the bay loomed up as we made our way closer in to shore. Just before we entered the surf, the captain swung the boat around, pointing the bow toward the sea. Then we slowly backed onto the shore while comfortably switching from outboard power to wheel power and crabbing backwards up onto the beach.
Cathedral Cove is a lovely spot to spend the day or even a few hours. Soft sand fills the cove and the arched rock at one end of the beach is amazing. Not only does the arch provide a dramatic looking glass view of the sea on the other side, but you can cut through the arch and wade through some shallow water to reach another wonderful adjacent beach. Signs warn you not to dwell under the rock canopy of the arch because rocks can fall, so we made our way quickly through to the other side and hung out on that beach for a little while. Unfortunately, we did not have a long time to relish this area and vowed to come back. We saw the staircases winding up the cliff ledges near the arch which looked sturdy but steep and were glad that we took the water taxi given our time constraints. If you find yourself on the Coromandel Peninsula and are looking for an adventure and some world class scenery, the Cathedral Cove water taxi is a fantastic way to experience this magical place.
https://www.cathedralcovewatertaxi.co.nz
