East Cape (Ngati Porou), Aotearoa New Zealand
Te Kaha Beach Hotel
About this stay
Te Kaha Beach Hotel is in Te Kaha, a small village on State Highway 35 roughly halfway between Ōhope and Hicks Bay, on the western side of the East Cape in Te Whānau-ā-Apanui country. Every room has a view, from studios to two-bedroom apartments, and the hotel has a restaurant and bar. The coast here is rugged, lined with pōhutukawa, and very lightly populated, so it is a natural overnight stop on the drive around the cape. It suits road-trippers and anyone wanting to slow down on a remote coastline.
Good for
About East Cape (Ngati Porou)
The East Cape, or Tairāwhiti, is the rugged bulge of land between Ōpōtiki and Gisborne, traced by State Highway 35 for roughly 330 kilometres. It suits self-sufficient travellers who want long empty beaches, small settlements and real distance from crowds. Compared with the Bay of Islands or Rotorua there are few organised attractions, limited services and long stretches between towns, which is much of its appeal.
Getting there
Gisborne Airport (GIS) has Air New Zealand flights from Auckland and Wellington. From there the coast road heads north. Coming from the Bay of Plenty side, Ōpōtiki is about two hours' drive from Rotorua, and the full loop around the cape takes at least two unhurried days.