Mercury Bay

Coromandel. Blessed with natural beauty, unspoiled golden beaches and plenty of sheltered inlets and islands that offer quiet niches; this area is the perfect place to wind down and enjoy multiple aquatic sports.

The name Mercury dates back to Captain Cook’s time, when he set up his base in the area to watch the passage of Mercury; though the original Maori name is Te-Whanganui-o-Hei, the great bay of Hei.

Whitianga is the most important town on Mercury Bay area, where each year thousands of people converge to enjoy the summer holidays. Around this region, turquoise waters wash over splendid white beaches while hills provide a stunning backdrop to the sheltered bays. During the off-season the bay area reclaims the peace of the autumn months and provides an ideal haven of peace and unaffected beauty.

A truly unique experience on Mercury Bay is the Hot Water Beach located between Tairua and Whitianga. An underground river of hot water, created by volcanoes, surfaces in the Pacific Ocean right into the bay of Hot Water Beach. Here bathing is a genuinely relaxing and bubbling experience, for the water reaches temperatures of 64°C (147°f).

Although there are several hot springs in the area, this beach location offers an exclusive site for an exceptional bathing experience. The best time to fully appreciate this hot water rich in minerals such as magnesium and potassium to name a few is during low tide when they are more easily reached.