The rock arch
A passage between two bays.
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carlos Pacheco from Toronto, Canada — CC BY 2.0 · Carlos Pacheco from Toronto, Canada — CC BY 2.0 · Carlos Pacheco from Toronto, Canada — CC BY 2.0
Cathedral Cove, or Mautohe, is a famous beach on the Coromandel Peninsula, known for a huge natural rock arch separating two sandy bays. It lies near Hahei beside the Te Whanganui-o-Hei marine reserve and draws about 150,000 visitors a year. The marine reserve covers 840 hectares and takes its name from Hei, a tohunga who according to tradition chose Mercury Bay as home for his tribe. Cyclone Gabrielle damaged the track in February 2023, closing it for more than a year and a half, and it reopened on 1 December 2024. The Hahei Beach Walk that links to it remains closed because of land instability. The sealed track drops by steps past wide sea views to a golden sand beach. Through the high arch you walk to the next bay, with a lone pale rock standing in the water, the place's most famous picture. The beach can narrow at high tide, so check the tide table. The Department of Conservation gives the track as 5 km return in about an hour and a half, with steep sections, and a shuttle runs from the Hahei visitor car park to its start. You can also come by boat or kayak. The department warns against visiting during or just after heavy rain because of landslide risk. It is 7.5 km in a straight line from Hot Water Beach, so both fit in a day.
A passage between two bays.
Standing in the water.
From the sealed track.
Coromandel Peninsula, North Island
It reopened in December 2024 but can close after rain, so check the department's alerts.
Yes, by boat or kayak from Hahei, depending on the sea.