Hike to Cathedral Cove

Cathedral Cove is an isolated beach on the Coromandel Peninsula in the small coastal town of Hahei. Being that this is one of the most beautiful places in all of New Zealand, you can expect some crowds. You can take your chances at finding a spot in the small lot, or there is a shuttle option that leaves from town. that takes about 5 mins.

The hike down to the beach is about 2.5 km and should only take about 35 mins. Make sure you bring some food and don't forget anything in your car cause it's entirely uphill on the return trek! You start along the ridge with unreal views of the ocean and the countless islands jutting out of the sea. You then dip into the forrest and eventually take some stairs down onto the sand. I would recommend wearing shoes though sandals are possible but your trip back up the mountain won't be as enjoyable.

There are two beautiful beaches separated by an massive rock arch easily big enough for a semi truck to drive through. The northern most beach is a bit bigger and has a huge pillar of rock standing alone on the sand, though the southern beach holds the sunlight better as it sets behind the mountain. That being said, I would recommend visiting the beach midday as that is when the sun is most present above the cove.

Properly photographing the cove is a bit tricky, being that there is uneven light both in the morning and at sunset. I suggest waiting for the sun to go down completely and for a night with some clouds which will illuminate the sky and give some color to your scene. I unfortunately did not get lucky with a proper sunset but it would definitely be worth waiting for. Enjoy!