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Whitianga

Town · Waikato Region, 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Population 6,160
Area 28 km²
Time zone Pacific/Auckland
Whitianga

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Featured Lists

Whitianga Essentials

Whitianga serves as the gateway to the Coromandel's eastern coastline, blending maritime heritage with unique geological features. This list highlights the town’s history at the Mercury Bay Museum and the 1837 stone Ferry Landing. Natural landmarks include the geothermal mineral waters of The Lost Spring and panoramic vistas from Shakespeare Cliff. For coastal exploration, boat tours depart from the central wharf toward the Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve, while the local beaches offer historical context ranging from 19th-century shipwrecks to Captain Cook’s 1769 landing.

10 places

Whitianga Highlights

Whitianga’s coastline features a mix of historical landmarks and accessible beaches. This selection includes Buffalo Beach, named for the 1840 shipwreck of the HMS Buffalo, and the Shakespeare Cliff Lookout, which provides panoramic views of Mercury Bay. Explore the white sands of Lonely Bay, framed by limestone cliffs, or visit Simpsons Beach for a quieter alternative to the main town front. These locations highlight the geological diversity and maritime history of the Coromandel Peninsula.

7 places
Egghead06 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Scenic Coastal Landscapes

Mercury Bay is a significant geographic feature of the Coromandel Peninsula, shaped by volcanic history and maritime exploration. This selection includes the expansive Buffalo Beach, named after the HMS Buffalo which wrecked here in 1840, and the secluded Lonely Bay, known for its white sand and limestone cliffs. Elevated vantage points like Shakespeare Cliff provide views of the bay where Captain James Cook observed the transit of Mercury in 1769, offering a perspective on the region's rugged coastline.

5 places

Whitianga — Map

Whitianga — Map

Climate & when to visit

Best time to visit: January, February, March, December

Select a month

Typical weather in January

Great
  • 23° (feels like 21°) · extremes 14°–26°
  • 17° at night
  • 11 rainy days
  • 15 sunny days
  • 9 hours of sunshine per day
  • Comfortable humidity
  • Light breeze
  • 20°C · cool for a dip
  • UV index 10 · very high

Typical weather in February

Great
  • 23° (feels like 22°) · extremes 15°–26°
  • 18° at night
  • 11 rainy days
  • 13 sunny days
  • 8 hours of sunshine per day
  • Comfortable humidity
  • Light breeze
  • 21°C · cool for a dip
  • UV index 9 · very high

Typical weather in March

Great
  • 22° (feels like 20°) · extremes 14°–24°
  • 17° at night
  • 12 rainy days
  • 14 sunny days
  • 8 hours of sunshine per day
  • Comfortable humidity
  • Light breeze
  • 20°C · cool for a dip
  • UV index 7 · high

Typical weather in April

Good
  • 19° (feels like 18°) · extremes 12°–22°
  • 15° at night
  • 13 rainy days
  • 10 sunny days
  • 6 hours of sunshine per day
  • Comfortable humidity
  • Light breeze
  • 19°C · cool for a dip
  • UV index 5 · moderate

Typical weather in May

Good
  • 17° (feels like 14°) · extremes 9°–20°
  • 13° at night
  • 13 rainy days
  • 9 sunny days
  • 5 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 18°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 3 · moderate

Typical weather in June

Fair
  • 15° (feels like 12°) · extremes 7°–18°
  • 11° at night
  • 13 rainy days
  • 6 sunny days
  • 5 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 16°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 2 · low

Typical weather in July

Fair
  • 14° (feels like 11°) · extremes 7°–16°
  • 10° at night
  • 15 rainy days
  • 8 sunny days
  • 5 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 15°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 2 · low

Typical weather in August

Fair
  • 14° (feels like 11°) · extremes 7°–16°
  • 10° at night
  • 15 rainy days
  • 9 sunny days
  • 6 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 14°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 3 · moderate

Typical weather in September

Fair
  • 16° (feels like 12°) · extremes 8°–18°
  • 11° at night
  • 14 rainy days
  • 9 sunny days
  • 7 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 14°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 4 · moderate

Typical weather in October

Fair
  • 17° (feels like 14°) · extremes 9°–19°
  • 12° at night
  • 14 rainy days
  • 11 sunny days
  • 7 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 15°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 6 · high

Typical weather in November

Good
  • 19° (feels like 16°) · extremes 11°–22°
  • 14° at night
  • 13 rainy days
  • 13 sunny days
  • 9 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 16°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 8 · very high

Typical weather in December

Great
  • 21° (feels like 19°) · extremes 13°–24°
  • 16° at night
  • 13 rainy days
  • 12 sunny days
  • 9 hours of sunshine per day
  • Comfortable humidity
  • Light breeze
  • 18°C · cool for a dip
  • UV index 9 · very high

Climate data: NASA POWER + Copernicus ERA5-Land and ERA5 · 1996–2025

Practical information

Currency
New Zealand Dollar NZD $ · Card payments · Widely accepted
Emergency numbers
111
Electricity
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Languages
English, Māori
Tap water
Safe to drink
Driving side
Left
Calling code
+64
Learn more

Tours & Activities

The Lost Spring
Walk
Ocean Leopard Tours Cathedral Cove Boat Tour
Drive
Shakespeare Cliff Lookout

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Related destinations

Waikato Region

Other Destinations

Taupo District Thames Te Tara-o-Te-Ika / Coromandel Peninsula Matamata Ward Lake Taupo Raglan Ward

Data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata, Wikipedia, Tripomatic, Official websites.