Ohope Beach

Ohope runs about eleven kilometres east from the Whakatane heads, north-facing, gently shelving and backed by pohutukawa and holiday houses rather than dunes - which is why it swims easily and why it keeps winning the national beach polls. The surf club patrols the western end in summer. Behind the spit lies Ohiwa Harbour, a shallow tidal estuary that is one of the better wader and shorebird sites in the North Island, with a walkway around parts of it and shellfish beds that are gathered under seasonal rules. At the western end, Otarawairere Bay is reached only on foot over the headland from Ohope or Whakatane, a walk of about an hour that ends at a small enclosed bay most visitors never see. Whakatane itself is the departure point for Whakaari trips, which have not operated since 2019.

What you actually see

• The eleven-kilometre beach - north-facing, gentle, patrolled in season.
• Ohiwa Harbour - the tidal estuary behind, rich in shorebirds.
• Otarawairere Bay - the hidden cove reached only on foot.
• The pohutukawa fringe - the tree line along the back of the sand.

When to go

December to March for swimming; the harbour birds are best on a rising tide year round. January is the one crowded month.

Honest expectations

Swim between the flags at the patrolled end; the rest of eleven kilometres is unsupervised. Shellfish gathering has legal limits and seasonal closures. The Otarawairere walk is steep in places and partly tidal.

Nearby

Whakatane is over the hill; Ohiwa Harbour and Opotiki are east.