Hidden Beaches, Rock Pools & Rainy Adventures: A Day Exploring Waihi Beach with Teenagers

There are some days on a road trip that you know you’ll remember for a long time. Not because you’ve spent a fortune or ticked off a major tourist attraction, but because you’ve found somewhere beautiful, shared it with your children and simply had time to enjoy it.

Today was one of those days.

We woke once again to sunshine at Waihi Beach, which was perfect because I already knew what I wanted to do. The forecast was showing rain later, so my plan was simple: get out early, explore while the weather was on our side and make the most of our final full day in this part of Aotearoa New Zealand.

The boys had already made it clear that beaches were high on their list. I had a couple of ideas of my own.

One involved a little secret spot that Craig and I had discovered years ago.

And I was very keen to show it to the boys.

A Hidden Little Piece Of Paradise

After getting ourselves organised, we headed out towards one of those places that Craig and I had originally stumbled across almost by accident.

It wasn't a famous tourist attraction. There wasn't a big car park, visitor centre or row of signs pointing you towards it.

We'd actually discovered it years ago through a mixture of Google Earth and one of those random drives where you wonder, I wonder what's down there?

We'd fished there. Explored there. Enjoyed the quietness of it.

And now I wanted the boys to experience it too.

The walk down involved a climb towards a small, idyllic cove with caves, rocks and fallen trees scattered around the shoreline. Luckily, our timing was pretty much perfect because the tide was starting to push in.

Albs was immediately in his element. He was in and out of the caves, climbing over the fallen trees and exploring anything he could find. Archie was a little more laid-back, paddling around and investigating the rocks.

I was doing what I always do when I'm near the sea.

Watching them. Watching the water. Looking for movement. Checking the waves.

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There is something about the ocean that has always drawn me in. I can sit and stare at it for hours without needing to do anything else. It has become even more significant to me as I've got older, that feeling of connection, space and escape.

And I'm so pleased that the boys seem to have inherited some of that too.

They might not always admit it, especially the teenager, but put them near water, wildlife or somewhere they can explore and there is usually a little spark there.

Exploring The Coastline

Once we'd had our fill of our hidden little treasure, we moved on.

I wanted to explore a couple more beaches in the area, partly for the boys, partly because I can't resist a bit of rock-pooling and marine-life spotting myself.

There was plenty of rock exploring, shell searching and paddling.

And, as usual, I was keeping one eye on the water.

We were lucky enough to spot a couple of eagle rays while we were standing on the rocks beneath some low-hanging trees.

For Albs, these sorts of encounters are the stuff of holidays. He's naturally curious about animals and marine life and will happily spend ages looking into rock pools, watching birds or searching the water for anything moving.

It's one of the reasons I love travelling with the boys like this. You don't necessarily need to book an expensive excursion. Sometimes a beach, a pair of trainers and a bit of curiosity are enough.

A Familiar Coffee Stop At Waihi Beach

By now the wind had started to pick up, so we headed back towards Waihi Beach. And, of course, I had one important stop planned.

Flat White.

This is one of my favourite cafés in Waihi Beach and somewhere Craig and I have visited many times.

We settled in overlooking the bay.

It was a Sunday, so the café was busy, with people enjoying lunch, coffee and the beachside atmosphere. For me, it was a chai latte. Albs had the same, although naturally his was the smaller version because, somehow, I always end up drinking the rest!

Archie has also developed his own love of coffee, so he went for an iced latte.

Sitting there looking out across the bay was actually one of those unexpectedly emotional moments of the trip. I realised I was sitting in one of my happy places with my two boys, showing them somewhere that means so much to me.

I've had so many memories here with Craig.

Surfing, swimming, fishing and exploring.

Or enjoying being outside, and now I was watching my boys experience it. That meant more than I expected.

Beach Time Before The Rain

Of course, the boys weren't going to sit drinking coffee for too long. They wanted to get moving.

So we headed back out for another walk along the beach before grabbing some supplies and returning to our holiday park.

I'd offered them another of my favourite things to do in the area, Athenree Hot Springs, but apparently they'd found something better. They'd spotted the pedal go-karts at the holiday park.

Decision made. They wanted a go. I was already mentally preparing myself for the inevitable argument over who was driving first. But it never actually happened, they played nice and took turns.

They laughed and chatted as they rode around the park together without an argument. I followed along on foot, enjoying watching them. It sounds incredibly simple, but those are the moments I treasure.

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Eels, Wildlife And Another Little Adventure

While the boys were riding around, I wandered towards the bridge at the back of the park and spotted the eels. Naturally, that meant the boys eventually joined me. We watched them and fed them, and once again something completely ordinary became part of our adventure.

This is something I've always tried to encourage with the boys, to look properly and notice what is around you. Check out the wildlife, trees and the sea and stream etc that are local to you.

You don't have to be hiking up a mountain to experience nature. Sometimes it's right there beside your holiday cabin.

Orokawa Bay Well Almost!

I then suggested another walk.

The Orokawa Bay Track is one of my favourite walks in this area and can be accessed from Waihi Beach when the tide conditions allow. The boys were happy to give it a go. We started heading that way, but the weather had other ideas. The rain started. Then it started coming down harder.

So we decided that this wasn't the day for a longer walk and turned back towards the holiday park.

A little disappointing, perhaps, but that's travelling.

You make a plan, the weather changes and you adapt.

There actually was something quite satisfying about abandoning the walk and heading back towards the pool instead.

Swimming In The Rain

By the time we got back to the holiday park, the rain was properly coming down. Fortunately, we'd already got wet earlier so we went swimming, of course.

The pool and hot tub were practically ours, and the boys didn't need much persuading. There was something quite fun about sitting in warm water while rain fell around us.

It certainly wasn't the sunny afternoon we'd originally imagined, but it was still an experience, and sometimes holidays are about making the most of whatever weather you're given.

Eventually, we reluctantly left the water and headed back to the cabin.

A Cosy Final Night In Waihi Beach

A hot shower and change of clothes later, the boys settled down while I started making dinner.

Tonight's meal was homemade fajitas, plenty of vegetables, some spice and something warming after a wet afternoon.

Nothing fancy. Just food, conversation and time together. That had really been the theme of that day.

There were no big-ticket attractions. No expensive excursions. No packed itinerary. Just beaches, wildlife, rock pools, a favourite café, go-karts, eels, a swimming pool and a little bit of rain.

And honestly?

It was one of my favourite days.

Because travelling with teenagers isn't always about keeping them entertained every minute. It's about finding the things that connect with them.

Giving them space to explore. Letting them make memories. And occasionally getting lucky enough to see them laughing and playing together without a screen, an argument or an "I'm bored" in sight.

As our final night in Waihi Beach came to an end, I knew we had another adventure ahead. I also knew this part of New Zealand was as usual going to be one of the places I find hardest to leave.