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Home »New Zealand Travel »Scenic Highlights »Coastal Highlights »Kawhia Harbour

Take a Day Trip to Kawhia Harbour

Kawhia Harbour is a drowned river valley system, shallow and tidal, occupying an area of almost eight miles by eight miles in the Waikato region of New Zealand.

The entrance to Kawhia Harbour is obstructed by a bar, a feature of most harbours on the western coasts of New Zealand, which prevents their development as ports for heavy shipping.

With a population of some 650, the town of Kawhia functions mainly as a holiday resort; harbour tours and fishing being the major attractions. The area also features the most southern stand of New Zealand's forest giant, the Kauri.

At Te Puia (Hot Water) Beach, hot springs well up through the sand. Between low and mid-tide you can scoop out a hot pool and enjoy a seaside soak.

Kawhia Harbour Activities

Activities around Kawhia Harbour include:

Heritage cruises
Swimming
Kayaking
Fishing
Dig your own hot pool in the sand at Te Puia
Surfing
Swim with dolphins and seals
Windsurfing
Kiteboarding
Horse trekking
4 wheel motorbiking
Beach and forest walks

Kawhia Harbour Cultural History

Steeped in ancient history, this historic eco-wonderland is the spiritual and ancestral home of the Maori tribe, Tainui. The tribe is named after Tainui, the migration canoe from which the Waikato Maori claim descent. The canoes final resting place was on the northern shores of Kawhia Harbour. Today, two large upright stones mark the stern and prow of the buried canoe.

Kawhia Harbour was also the birthplace of the prominent Maori warrior chief, Te Rauparaha.

Cultural heritage seekers worldwide are beginning to discover this rare eco-gem. Here you can walk for miles on an isolated ocean beach without seeing another footprint in the sand.

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» Waikato Travel Directory

» Waikato Regional Information