Waipū Cove is the overall winner for this year's Best Beach competition, securing the most votes across all five categories. Overall Best Beach winnerJust 8km east along the coast, on a well-kept, winding road, basks Waipū Cove. It’s your favourite camping beach, your second-best surfing and family beach, and we’re quite happy to award it our readers’ all-round best beach for 2026 – yes, just like last year. Maz Quinn surfing at Raglan's Manu Bay, voted New Zealand's Best Surf Beach. Photo / Jereme AubertinBest Surf BeachThe World Surf League agreed with you about the best surf beach, adding Manu Bay, Raglan, to its 2026 Championship Tour for the first time.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 07, 2026 20:34 UTC