Hot Water Beach - Main Beach Parking — Attraction in North Island

This is one of the few times I have come across pay and display car parks at the coast in NZ. We parked on a dirt car park and walked into the village. On the way we hired a spade for $5NZ, with a $20NZ deposit. Further in, they were hiring at the same price but no deposit.

The beach is well provided for in terms of showers, loos and life guards. A short walk along the beach you can see people furiously digging their hollows in the sand to a depth where there is water. Some high up the beach, and others low down. We sampled a few abandoned pits to find cool or tepid water in them. We were beginning to think this was a con. So I set about digging my own pool a few meters up from the water line, but inline with some rocks in the sea. I was soon down to the water-level and…..it was hot; so hot I could barely put my foot in for a second. We abandoned this one, and moved forward to the water’s edge. Here I could mix the cold sea water with the water in the sand to get a reasonable temperature.  R was entertained by people asking if they could try our first pool and then shrieking with pain & surprise. It was rather like putting your feet in boiling water and having your ankles drop off. My first pool was judged the hottest on the beach. R thought the whole thing was rather like a male bird building an exquisite nest to attract mates.

I also swam on the beach. There was a lovely surf for body surfing on....

What a GREAT Kiwi experience!!

I cannot begin to tell you how awesome and exciting it is to view and visit this beach. Of course if you aren't aware the reason they call it Hot Water Beach is because there is a thermal river that runs under a certain part of the beach and because of that you can use a shovel, (Don't use your hands!! Trust me!!) and the water the fills your area is VERY HOT!! It ranges but is usually around 32 Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) but its plenty warm!

When I first walked up to this beach it was filled with families, kids running round and lots of tourists all trying to get a spot on the beach. These spots fill up pretty fast during the afternoon.

You can rent a shovel for $2 at the small store that's located at the parking lot. Also take note that this is a few places in New Zealand that has metered parking so parking is a bit harder to find but there is I believe one of two parking lots before this spot that are free. If not then just park on the road.

Also if you aren't aware this beach is known for a strong under current so please swim safety and DO NOT go in beyond your waste. Life guards constantly are on alert for those who aren't aware of the strong rip currents here and get pulled out to sea.

I loved this place and cannot...

. (04/2016) Interesting and one of its kind place in the region. Enjoyed visiting and digging our hot water pool. You can either hire a spade to dig your own pool or wait for one to be available when someone leaves. Soft sand beach. Always busy and crowded. You should plan visiting this place one hour in advance of low tide wave to have best experience and to have enough time to spend in hot water. Given the popularity of this place, the way it is highlighted as one of the must-visit places in Coro and amount of crowd it attracts, it could have been maintained in much better way. Ample parking space and parking is paid for most of the space. Wheelchair parking is available and there is wheelchair...