Whiritoa

Whiritoa is a small beach community on the Coromandel Peninsula between Whangamata and Waihi Beach. It has a permanent population in the low hundreds, which swells to over a thousand during the New Year holiday period. As it is a primarily family beach it remains peaceful and quiet (unlike the neighbouring beaches).

It features a convenience store, a library and a volunteer fire department. The local Surf lifesaving club is competitevely successful and has thriving popularity with the community of regularly holidaying families.

At the north end of the beach is a small lagoon which is popular for families with young children to swim in. Past this is a pleasant walk through a small forest to some small secluded beaches. At the south end is a somewhat treacherous walk to an entertaining blowhole.

The beach itself is a favourite for surfers as it often features a roaming sandbar or two. It is often quite steep meaning the waves are sometimes breaking directly on the sand, which proves to be a form of entertainment for locals who watch tourists attempting to enter the water.