Natural Attractions

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Beaches & Surfing

 

Hawkes Bay has some beautiful sandy beaches, great for swimming, surfing, diving & fishing.

Ocean & Waimarama beach are in close proximity to one another and are patroled over the summer holidays. Ocean beach has an estuary which is calm and shallow so great for the tiny totts.

Hawkes Bay has quite a strong surfing culture with all sorts of breaks. There’s fun beach, reef, river mouth & point breaks.

Ocean, Waimarama, Waipatiki & Westshore are beach breaks and it’ll depend on the conditions on the day as to which one’s best. Waimarama also has a small reef which in the right swell makes for fun left handers.

Haumoana and Awatoto are rivermouth breaks which in big swells can make for some great tube riding. Te Awanga, next beach towards Cape Kidnappers is a point break renowned among the long boarding community, if the swell’s too big at the coast Te Awanga is often the place to be, great long rides for both long & short boarders.

For the more adept and adventerous surfer there are some great breaks off the beaten track like Stingray and Cray Bay.

All beaches are a relatively short drive away & easy to access, accept when going to Ocean Beach you should drive with caution down the steep hill leading to the beach. Waipatiki is 20 minutes from Snapper Park, the others are approx. 30-45 minutes away.

Cape Kidnappers

 

The Cape Kidnappers and Ocean Beach Wildlife Reserve is the largest wildlife restoration project in New Zealand.

The Cape Kidnappers Gannet Reserve is managed by the Department of Conservation for the purpose of protecting the gannet nesting sites.

The 13 hectare reserve includes the Saddle and Black Reef gannet colonies. Both are closed to public access, however the Black Reef colony can be viewed from the beach. The Plateau colony is the main place for viewing the nesting gannets where there are also good panoramic views from this elevated headland.

There are spectacular geological cliff formations on the coast to Cape Kidnappers. Talk to the staff at Snapper Park about booking a Gannet Tour.

Gannet Beach Adventures

 

Discover the magic of Cape Kidnappers with the experienced guides at Gannet Beach Adventures.

You will embark on a 4 hour eco-tour which involves a tractor-trailer ride on their iconic vintage tractors along the rugged coastline to the Gannet Colony at Cape Kidnappers.

You will get extremely close to the magestic gannets in their natural habitat. Learn about the geology of the impressive cliffs that form the Cape & view ancient earthquake fault lines. It is a great experience that the whole family can enjoy!

Tours depart daily from October – April.
Book at Snapper Park when you check in.

Te Mata Peak

 

400 metres above sea level Te Mata Peak offers terrific panoramic views to the Rangers & Cape Kidnappers.

There are nature trails leading up the Peak, great for hikers & mountain bikers.

There is a wonderful Maori legend behind the rugged peak, often referred to as “the sleeping giant”, of a tribal leader “Te Mata” who died while demonstrating his love for a woman on the opposing tribe by attempting to bite a gap between the coast and the plains so that the people would no longer be separated by them.

Te Mata Peak can be found 25 minutes from Snapper Park out the back of Havelock North.