The best beaches in the North Island sit close enough together that one summer road trip can take in all five. You can swim in clear, sheltered water on the Coromandel one morning and watch surf pile onto black sand the next. Every beach below has a holiday park within reach, so your van is never far from the sand. Find a campervan or caravan for the journey on Camplify, then let the coastline set your route.
1. Hahei Beach, Coromandel
Tucked away on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, Hahei Beach turns on Mediterranean colours whenever the weather plays along. Boats sit anchored in the sheltered bay, islands break up the horizon, and big trees fringe the sand with shade. Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve lies just offshore, so the snorkelling rewards you for packing a mask. The village behind the beach has an ice cream shop, a brewery and boat operators running out to Mautohe Cathedral Cove. The walking track to the cove has reopened after years of storm damage, though DOC still closes it at short notice in heavy weather. Hot Water Beach lies a short drive down the coast, where water surfaces at up to 64 degrees for two hours either side of low tide. You can hire a spade at the store beside the car park or from the Hot Water Beach TOP 10 Holiday Park and dig your own pool in the sand. Tasman Holiday Parks Hahei Beach, long known as Hahei Beach Resort, keeps beachfront sites reserved for campervans, motorhomes and caravans.
Pick up your van through Camplify in Auckland and the run to Hahei takes around two and a half hours via Tairua.
2. Back Beach, New Plymouth
The mighty west coast is bursting with unique beaches. Think black sand and large cliff faces. Back Beach sits below Paritutu Centennial Park, beside the volcanic stump of Paritutu Rock at the western edge of New Plymouth. The climb to the summit takes 15 to 30 minutes, starting on steep steps and finishing on a rock face where a fixed chain does the hard work. On a clear day the reward is the city below you and Mount Taranaki standing behind it. Reaching the water means a shuffle down the dunes or the steps cut into the cliff, and the Back Beach car park sits above both. Oakura Beach Holiday Park is roughly a 15-minute drive down the coast road, with 78 powered sites built for caravans and motorhomes.
Browse the campervans and caravans in New Plymouth on Camplify and you could be parked above that black sand the same afternoon.
3. Whale Bay, Matapouri, Northland
Whale Bay is a quintessential North Island beach with the added appeal of seclusion. After road-tripping along the Tutukaka Coast, you walk 10 to 15 minutes down a wide bush track from the car park on Matapouri Road. Pohutukawa lean over a crescent of pale sand, the water runs clear enough for snorkelling, and bush-clad headlands close the bay at both ends. Sandy Bay sits further along the same road if you would rather have surf and parking right at the sand. Tutukaka Holiday Park on Matapouri Road makes the obvious base, with 60 powered sites and the marina a short stroll away.
Freedom camping is a different matter along this coast. Whangarei District Council bans or restricts it at most Tutukaka Coast car parks, and the rules tighten over the December to February peak. Read the Camping in Public Places Bylaw before you count on a roadside night near Matapouri. Where camping is allowed only a certified self-contained vehicle qualifies, and since 7 June 2026 the green warrant is the only certificate that counts. That standard needs a toilet fixed to the floor rather than a portable one, and it belongs to the vehicle, so ask the owner for the warrant card. Camping without one carries a $400 infringement fee.
Pick up a van in Whangarei through Camplify and begin your journey north from there.
4. Whangamata Beach, Coromandel
Whangamata Beach is a four-kilometre sweep of golden sand on the eastern Coromandel, and it earns its reputation twice over. The Bar at the harbour entrance is one of the country’s great surf breaks, a long left-hander that experienced surfers travel for. The main beach in front of town is far more forgiving, which is what makes it work for families and first-time surfers. From Tauranga you have about 90 kilometres north through Katikati and Waihi, roughly an hour and a half of winding, scenic driving. Whangamata Motor Camp on Barbara Avenue has more than 70 powered sites on level grass, with the beach less than 100 metres away.
Ready-to-go campers are a go in Tauranga. Head to Camplify to browse the many options.
5. Ngarunui Beach, Raglan
Ngarunui Beach, known locally as Ocean Beach, lies about three kilometres southwest of Raglan off Wainui Road. Black sand, steady swell and a long wall of dune make it the most popular surfing beach on this stretch of the Waikato coast. Surf lifeguards patrol the flagged area in front of the main access track through the summer season. Get a real taste of Raglan afterwards in the town’s shops, cafes and bars. Raglan Holiday Park sits at 61 Marine Parade on the harbour side, two minutes from the water and a footbridge from town.
Search Hamilton listings on Camplify for a campervan or caravan to complement your North Island beaches adventure.
Five beaches, two coastlines, and short enough drives between them that none of it feels like a chore. Line up your campervan hire first and the best beaches in the North Island will shape the rest of the itinerary.
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