World Famous
Hot Water Beach

Hot Water Beach is NOT a secret! It is known around the world!

Hot Water Beach is located along New Zealand's Pacific coast just south of Mercury Bay at the northeast tip of the Coromandel Peninsula (map).

If you're coming to Hot Water Beach, you need to know ...

When to arrive
What to bring
How to get here
How much does it co$t
How to survive the common rip tide

What is it?

Some volcanos develop huge underground reservoirs of superheated water. Over time, this water will escape to the surface — cooling on the way. There are two fissures at Hot Water Beach issuing water as hot as 64ºC (147ºF) at a rate as high as 15 litres/minute. This water contains large amounts of salt (NOT salt water), calcium, magnesium, potassium, fluorine, bromine and silica. There are other hot water springs nearby but the location of these two springs on the beach make them unique.

Hot Water Beach
Daily Low Tides

24 Apr 2014

Valid dates: 1 Sep 2007 -- 31 Dec 2016

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HIGH tides | Low tides

Show/hide high tides

Time	Tide (msl mm)
Thu, 2014 Apr 24
01:36	836
07:54	-751
14:04	712
20:16	-778
Fri, 2014 Apr 25
02:36	819
08:56	-766
15:08	717
21:19	-759
Sat, 2014 Apr 26
03:37	817
09:57	-799
16:11	744
22:20	-758
Sun, 2014 Apr 27
04:35	827
10:55	-843
17:10	787
23:19	-770
Mon, 2014 Apr 28
05:30	843
11:49	-889
18:06	832
Tue, 2014 Apr 29
00:14	-785
06:23	855
12:40	-926
18:57	871
Wed, 2014 Apr 30
01:05	-796
07:12	858
13:28	-946
19:46	895

Time	Tide (msl mm)
Thu, 2014 May 01
01:54	-797
07:59	845
14:14	-946
20:33	900
Fri, 2014 May 02
02:41	-785
08:45	816
14:58	-923
21:18	887
Sat, 2014 May 03
03:27	-759
09:29	772
15:42	-881
22:02	856
Sun, 2014 May 04
04:12	-722
10:14	715
16:25	-824
22:46	813
Mon, 2014 May 05
04:58	-679
10:59	652
17:09	-756
23:30	762
Tue, 2014 May 06
05:45	-635
11:46	590
17:54	-686
Wed, 2014 May 07
00:16	710
06:32	-596
12:34	535
18:41	-620

Tide times are LOCAL (NZST or NZDT).

Tide height in mm from Mean Sea Level.
The lower the low tide,
(the more negative the tide height),
the more time that the thermal spring
on the beach will be "uncovered."

Database created, maintained and
Copyright © 1998-2014 by Data Koncepts
All rights reserved.

Database content
Copyright © 2007 - 2014 by NIWA
All rights reserved.

Printable tide data for this month.

Get more Hot Water Beach info.

When?

The short answer is: ONE hour either side of low tide (okay, up to two hours but only if the low tide is REALLY low). Plan to arrive BEFORE low tide to (a) stake-out a place for digging your 'spa' (Hot Water Beach DOES get crowded) and (b) allow for some relaxation in your 'spa' before the tide rises and reclaims the beach, 'spas' and all.

A table of low tides is displayed to the right. The low tide table starts TODAY (as defined on our server) and provides two weeks of low tides so you can plan your visit to Hot Water Beach. If you're not interested in the next two weeks, update the day, month and year and you'll see the low tides from that date -- within the range from 1 Aug 2007 to 31 Dec 2016. Now you can plan your visit to Mercury Bay -- and Hot Water Beach!

What?

Beach gear, of course! Bathing suit (tops ARE optional 8·) and sandals
Access -- plan on walking through the small stream which separates the car park from the 100 m of beach you need to cross (sorry, there is NO mobility impaired access).
Towels and sunscreen are necessary in the summer.
Spade and bucket -- the spade (or a plastic milk bottle cut as a scoop) will help you dig your spa but the bucket is just as important! It will allow you to bring the cooler ocean water to keep you from scalding your feet (or whatever else you put in your spa!-)
Camera! If you arrive in our winter, it will be cool but the water can be HOT!
Despite Kiwis' love of their dogs, please plan on NOT bringing your dog here. They are not prohibited but dogs MUST be on a lead and you'll have to "police" any mess.
If you're planning on staying at Hot Water Beach, be advised that there is NO camping on the beach. However, there is ... Auntie Dawns Place!
WARNING: Despite the volunteer lifeguards (only at the height of the season), Hot Water Beach's rip tides have claimed many unwary visitors. Know how to swim in rip tides before you venture into the ocean!

WARNING!

Beware of the rip tides common to Hot Water Beach!
(Most prevalent near the offshore rocks - don't try to swim to them!)

If you feel yourself being taken from the shore by a current, DO NOT try to swim back to the shore - you will NOT succeed! Swim parallel to the beach until the current subsides THEN swim back to shore.

Hot Water Beach has seen many drownings for the failure of visitors to heed these simple precautions and we don't want to lose any more!

How to get here?

There's only one way. Take State Highway 25 to Whenuakite where the only notable junction is the road to Hot Water Beach, Cook's Beach and Hahei/Cathedral Cove. Stay on the main road until you see the (right) turn to Hot Water Beach (~8 km). Please pay attention to the speed limit on this road as it gives a good indication of the road condition -- which is paved right up to the car park.

Of course, NO visit to New Zealand would be complete without sitting on the beach in your own private hot pool at the world renowned Hot Water Beach!

How much does it co$t?

Sorry, the New Zealand government has yet to tax the natural thermal springs such as this one on the beach (all New Zealand beaches are open to the public) so there is NO CHARGE! Of course, if you'd like to have an ice cream, drink or sandwich at the shop (conveniently located at the car park), those are not free. It's true that there's "no free lunch," but ...

Hot Water Beach is FREE!

World Famous Hot Water Beach