| Distance | 1km return |
| Time | 15-30 minutes |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Dogs | No |
| Parking | Limited, see below |
| Toilets | Yes, near track start |
| Mobile Coverage | Yes |
| Tide dependent | Yes, beach access only at low-mid tide |
Everyone goes to Cathedral Cove. It’s at the north end of Hahei Beach and it’s spectacular, but it’s also busy and requires a shuttle bus in summer. What most people don’t know is that the south end of the beach has its own headland walk that’s just as rewarding, takes 15 minutes, and you’ll often have it to yourself.
Te Pare Point Historic Reserve sits on the headland at the southern end of Hahei Beach. It’s a short, well-maintained DOC track through ancient pohutukawa trees and up onto a clifftop pa site with views that stretch the full length of the beach, out to the Alderman Islands and across Mercury Bay. I walked it and that view from the top genuinely stopped me in my tracks. You can see the whole beach laid out below you and the offshore islands dotted across the water. On a clear day it’s stunning.
It’s also one of the most significant Maori historical sites on the Coromandel, with the remains of two pa sites still visible on the headland. Worth the 15 minutes for both the views and the history.
The track starts at the end of Pa Road, which is the first right turn as you enter Hahei from SH25.
Parking is limited. DOC confirms there is no parking at the track start itself. There’s a small turning circle at the road end and a few grass verge spots about 50 metres back near the toilets, but in summer these fill fast. The easiest option is to park at the main Hahei Beach car park and either walk along the beach at low to mid tide, or walk the road to Pa Road. It’s only a few minutes extra.
Starting point GPS: -36.8441°S, 175.8176°E
There are public toilets on Pa Road a short walk from the track start, which is handy.
You’ve got two options depending on the tide:
From Pa Road (any tide): Follow the road to the end, take the track into the pohutukawa grove and follow it up to the headland. This works any time.
From Hahei Beach (low to mid tide only): Walk to the southern end of the beach and take the stairs up to join the track. At high tide this section of beach is cut off by the cliffs, so check the tide before committing to this approach. The beach access gives you a great close-up look at the pohutukawa trees and rock formations at the base of the cliff.
If you’re not sure about the tide, go from Pa Road. It’s the same track either way once you’re up.
From the Pa Road end, the track heads into a grove of very large, ancient pohutukawa trees. These are genuinely impressive up close, especially in December when they’re in flower. About 100 metres in there’s a side path off to the left that leads down steps to the southern end of Hahei Beach, but only use this at low to mid tide.
Continue on the main track, which emerges from the bush onto open grassland and climbs gently up to the headland. There’s a bench about halfway up if you need a breather. The climb isn’t demanding but it’s steady.
At the top you’re on Hereheretaura Pa, the main pa site on the tip of the headland. The cliffs drop away on three sides. You can still see the remains of the defensive ditch and bank on the landward side, several terraces, storage pits and living platforms. DOC has repaired the outer earthworks bank and built a staircase up to the pa to protect the midden deposits on the slopes below.
From the point there’s also a short informal track heading southeast along a narrow spine toward the very tip of the headland, marked by a distinctive dead tree. It’s worth following if you want to push a bit further, but keep well back from the cliff edges.
Head back the same way you came, or drop down to the beach via the side track if the tide allows.
The view from the top is the reason to come. Looking north you get the full sweep of Hahei Beach with the town behind it and the forested hills. Looking east and south you’ve got Mercury Bay, Mahurangi Island, the Alderman Islands and on a clear day views well out to sea. It’s a 270 degree ocean outlook from a headland that was chosen for that exact reason centuries ago.
At high tide there’s a blowhole at the base of the cliffs that adds a proper booming sound to the experience. Keep an eye and ear out for it.
The pohutukawa grove at the start is worth slowing down for. Some of these trees are enormous, twisted into the cliff face over hundreds of years.
Wasps have been reported in the area, particularly in summer. Nothing dramatic but worth knowing if you’re sensitive.
The track is short and well-maintained but there are steps and a gentle climb, so it’s not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs. Children are fine but keep them close near the cliff edges as there are unguarded drops.
Go in the morning if you can. The afternoon sun sits low over the beach in summer and can make the views harder to photograph. Morning light is better and it’s quieter.
There’s nothing to buy at Te Pare. Hahei township is only a few minutes away and has cafes, a general store and an ice cream shop.
This walk is genuinely underrated. Cathedral Cove gets all the attention but Te Pare gives you equally good views with a fraction of the crowds, in a quarter of the time. The history adds something too, you’re standing on a pa site that’s been there for centuries and the earthworks are real and tangible, not just a sign on a fence.
The only downside is the parking situation in summer. If you’re driving directly to Pa Road on a busy day you might struggle. Walk from the beach car park and you’ve solved the problem.
Worth doing even if you’ve already done Cathedral Cove. It rounds out Hahei nicely and takes less than an hour including the drive from the main car park.
