Whakatāne is a coastal town in the eastern Bay of Plenty on New Zealand's North Island. It is one of the sunniest towns in New Zealand. The nearby village of Ōhope, only about 7 minutes by car through a gorgeous pass with stunning views of the ocean, features one of the best beaches in the entire country, which has won numerous "Best Beach" awards over the years.

Get in

By plane

While the tiny airline Air Chathams has direct flights from Auckland, most travellers (and locals) fly to Tauranga or Rotorua instead, and then drive here, which takes about 1 hour from either of those cities.

• 1 Whakatāne Airport (WHK  ^IATA), 216 Aerodrome Rd, Thornton. Air Chathams fly from Auckland twice a day. Rental cars are available at the airport. (updated Apr 2019)

By car

Whakatāne is less than 100 kilometres from the cities of Rotorua and Tauranga. It is less than 4 hours drive from Auckland and Hawke's Bay and 2½ hours from Gisborne, Hamilton and Taupo. Wellington is a more than 6½-hour drive through beautiful scenery.

Another scenic drive is the Pacific Coast Highway, "traversing the spectacular east coast of New Zealand's North Island, is one of the great touring routes in the world. The Pacific Coast Highway is well signposted along the entire route, giving a safe and easy way to navigate through some of the most spectacular coastal scenery New Zealand has to offer". Whakatāne is about half way along this scenic highway, which starts in Auckland and finishes in Hawkes Bay. The scenery is stunning, but note that Whakatāne is probably the last big town before reaching Gisborne, so ensure you take some food along with you. There are no shopping malls between Opotiki (the next town) and Gisborne.

By bus

Intercity runs a daily service each way between Auckland and Gisborne, stopping at Whakatāne. From Auckland it runs through Hamilton and Rotorua, and it carries on through Opotiki to Gisborne. The bus stop is next to the i-Site on Quay Street.

Baybus, a regular local bus service, operates between Whakatāne, Ōhope, Kawerau, Matata, Ōpōtiki and Tauranga. The Ōhope–Whakatāne and Ōhope–Tauranga lines run Monday to Saturday, while Whakatāne–Ōpōtiki and Whakatāne–Kawerau run twice weekly. The Whakatāne–Mātata line runs once a week. The fares are cheap as they have been subsidised by the regional council.

Get around

Whakatāne is not a large town, and thus has limited public transport. The Baybus service runs around the town and then to Ōhope. It doubles as a school bus during school starting and ending times (8AM-ish and 3PM-ish).

Renting a car is the easiest way to get around Whakatāne and see all the local sights. Parking is free generally (there is only one area where you have to pay, and not many locals will take this option), but has strict time limits.

Exploring on foot or by bicycle are also reasonable options. The town is fairly compact, and most sights and conveniences can be easily reached on foot from the town centre.

See

• 1 Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre, Esplanade Mall, Kākahoroa Drive. M-F 9AM – 5PM, Sa Su 10AM – 2PM. Museum display and exhibition galleries, with changing exhibitions. Donation. (updated Apr 2019)
• 2 Whakatāne Gardens. Park with a rose garden and a Japanese garden. (updated Apr 2019)

Do

• 1 Diveworks Dolphin and Seal Encounters, 96 The Strand (near Information Centre), ☏ +64 7 308 2001. 0800-1630. Dolphin and seal watching or swimming. Four hour trips in the vicinity of White and Whale Islands. Fast stable boats with trained crews. All equipment supplied. A Department of Conservation concessionaire and approved by Qualmark New Zealand as a certified visitor activity. Day charters also available for inshore and deep sea fishing, diving and sightseeing. Groups up to 15. Tackle and equipment for hire. $90-160. 
• Golf.
• Hiking.
• Horse riding.
• Jet boat.
• KG Kayaks. Local operators KG Kayaks run guided kayaking tours to offshore Whale Island as well as guided tours and kayak hire at nearby Ohiwa Harbour. Dolphins, orca and seals are regularly sighted along this stretch of coast. $30 1-hr hire, $250 Whale Island tour. (updated Apr 2019)
• Moutohorā / Whale Island tours, 15 The Strand East. 4-hour guided tour of the island, which is a native wildlife sanctuary. See native birds and New Zealand fur seals and swim at a geothermal hot water beach. Adult $99, child (15 & under) $59. (updated Jan 2020)
• Nga Tapuwae o Toi Walkways (The Footsteps of Toi). A walkway that shows off Whakatāne's natural beauty. Many locals walk or run these paths as they train for events. The walkway is a loop between Whakatāne township and Ōhope Beach: one side takes you along the coastline and through major reserves; the other takes you through beautiful bush settings. The total 16 km trip can be completed in 5-7 hours and can be demanding at times. Pack a rain coat and warm clothes, as the weather can change quickly. There are signposts detailing important history of the area. Some of the places are pa (Māori fortified village) sites, so please be respectful of these. 
• 2 Ōhope Beach. About 6 km from Whakatāne in the town of Ōhope, offering swimming, surfing and other beach activities.  

Buy

The two main shopping areas are along The Strand, and just before the bridge entering the town (The Hub). The Strand contains both national franchise stores as well as independent and local stores, while The Hub mainly contains national franchises.

• 1 Countdown, 105-125 Commerce Street. Daily 7AM - 10PM. Supermarket (updated Apr 2019)
• 2 New World. Daily 7AM - 9PM. Supermarket (updated Apr 2019)
• Fresh Market, 30 Lovelock Street, ☏ +64 73086596. A green grocer, it also has smoothies made to order, real fruit ice cream made to order, and soup of the day (updated Nov 2024)

Eat

• 1 Bean Café, 72, The Strand (across the road from the i-site), ☏ +64 7 307 0494. Patrick and Wendy's lovely little café; free WiFi. Coffee is roasted on-site, ultra fresh and tasty. Lovely folks let customers linger, charge their laptops and use WiFi. WiFi is not cheap in NZ, so this is really kind. Coffee $4-6; snacks (bagels, mostly) $9-15. (updated Nov 2024)

• Poppy's Café, 159 The Strand, ☏ +64 7 308 8548. M-F 7AM-3PM, Sa Su 8AM-3PM. Serves the full range of NZ café fare. Try the eggs benedict. Full lunch menu including fish and chips, thai prawns, salads, and pasta dishes. Seafood chowder sometimes available. Excellent pastry case and other cabinet foods. Indoor and outdoor seating. NZ$20-30. (updated Nov 2024)

• The Wagon, 128 The Strand, ☏ +64 7 308 0928. Open lunchtime till 8PM. Gourmet burgers made from NZ beef ground on-site. Vegan burger menu as well featuring portobello mushrooms, falafel, or jackfruit. Any of their beef burgers can be ordered with a falafel patty, which is good for vegetarians. Nice sides including cheese fries, kumara fries, onion rings, etc. Beer, wine, and mixed drinks are available. Dine-in or takeaway. NZ$20-25. (updated Nov 2024)
• Gibbo's Fresh Fish, 16 King Street, ☏ +64 7 308 6185. Open lunchtime till 8PM. Good fish and chips takeaway, as well as toasted sandwiches. Daily specials as well as "fish of the day" sometimes. Freshly caught raw fish is available as well, plus Māori-style ceviche called "rawfish", mussels, oysters, and so on. NZ$10-20 per person. (updated Nov 2024)
• Real Fruit Ice Cream - Due to easy access to fresh dairy and local berry farms, New Zealand has some of the best ice cream in the world simply by mixing fresh berries with locally sourced plain ice cream. Flavours include Strawberry, Blueberry, Blackberry, and usually mixed berry. As such, ice cream is extremely popular not just as a dessert but also a snack. Queues will be seen at roadside food trucks, and car parks at berry farms will be full on nice days as people enjoy ice creams. Food trucks advertising “real fruit ice cream” can be seen operating in all seasons, usually from late morning to late afternoon as long as the weather is not heavy rain. All walks of life enjoy ice cream as the people enjoying ice cream range from all ages, genders and professions and is not considered feminine or childish to eat a swirl of pink coloured ice cream in a waffle cone.

Some of the spots you can find this delicious local treat are:

• Julian's Berry Farm, 12 Huna Road (off highway 30 toward Tauranga/Rotorua, past the Hub shopping centre; You'll see the big sign). Large café with covered outdoor seating. Famous for fresh berries harvested on-site, and you can also pick your own in season. Fabulous ice creams made from these berries, as well as coffees and the usual café fare. Has a large playground for kids, a basketball court, volleyball courts, and a petting zoo, all free of charge. Also offers miniature golf (not free). The attached shop sells fresh and frozen berries as well as berry products like jam. (updated Nov 2024)

• Blueberry Corner, 364 Thornton Road (follow highway 30 toward Tauranga, then turn onto Thornton Rd (sign for Tauranga/Airport), go about 1 km further). Small café specialising in ice creams, also has pastries and coffee. Fresh berries for sale in season. Large outdoor seating area with a playground and jumping pillow for the kids. (updated Nov 2024)

• Berrylicious. An ice cream truck usually stationed in the car park next to Harvey Norman (furniture store) at the Hub shopping centre. Look for the flags. Excellent ice creams with local berries mixed in to order. (updated Nov 2024)

Drink

There are a few bars along the Strand, as well as a couple in Kopeopeo, the shopping area near the Pak N Save grocery store.

Sleep

Accommodation includes motels, backpackers, bed and breakfasts, and holiday parks/campsites. Many of the motels are along Landing Road and The Strand.

• 1 Whakatane Hotel, 79 The Strand. Hotel dating back to 1895 with single, double and bunk bed rooms, above The Craic Irish pub. single from $75, queen ensuite from $120. (updated Nov 2024)

Go next

• Opotiki
• Tarawera Falls
• White Island is an island volcano 45 km from Whakatāne, and one of the most active volcanoes in New Zealand. Tours have been suspended since 9 December 2019 due to an eruption.