Te Whanganui-A-Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve

Te Whanganui-A-Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve is on the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand covering an area of 840 hectares (2,100 acres).

Cathedral Cove is named after the cave located there, linking Mare's Leg Cove to Cathedral Cove. Gemstone Bay and Stingray Bay are also located within the reserve. A walking track exists from the northern end of Hahei Beach, and it is also possible to walk from the local authority car park at the top of the headland between Hahei and Gemstone Bay. The area is very popular with tourists, and receives around 150,000 visitors per year.

Boat and kayaking tours come from Whitianga in the north and Hahei in the south to visit the area. Both coves contain shapely natural rock stacks, Sphinx Rock in Mare's Leg Cove, and Te Hoho Rock in Cathedral Cove. Stingray Bay, and in particular Gemstone Bay, are popular snorkelling and diving areas, as marine life within the reserve boundaries is plentyful. In Gemstone Bay there is also a snorkel trail marked by the Department of Conservation. Both bays are also accessible by paths leading down from the main walking path to Cathedral Cove.

The Māori name Te Whanganui-A-Hei (the Great Bay of Hei) refers to Hei, a tohunga from the Te Arawa waka. According to tradition, Hei chose the area around Mercury Bay as home for his tribe, proclaiming ownership by calling Motueka Island "Te Kuraetanga-o-taku-Ihu" (the outward curve of my nose.) It is said he made this claim near the site of the present-day of Hahei.

The cave and beach was used as the tunnel through which the Pevensie children first re-enter Narnia in the movie version of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. More recently the cove was used as one of the locations in the music video for the song "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton.

See also

  • Marine reserves of New Zealand

References

External links

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Cristian Buxton
25 November 2014
Great views, and an amazing beach. 45 min. walk, bring water!
kartik s
9 January 2017
Great "must see" spot on the North island of New Zealand. Parking can be challenging. Try to park at the lot closest to the cove - it's still a good 45 minute moderate walk from the lot to the cove.
Magdalena Mrázková
17 December 2016
The walk to the beach is breathtaking! The beach itself is a piece of paradise. Warning: during peak season it's quite crowded and the ocean is turn-blue-in-seconds cold so not friendly for swimming
Bas Hof
2 January 2019
Really worth to visit this beautiful beach. Come when it is early on a clear sunny day. Park your car at the first car park and take the bus. Bring water, towel and some food. 45 min walk.
Michelle Janda
31 July 2017
The cathedral cove is a NZ- must see! If you don't want to walk (45 min), you can book a boat tour from Whitianga and get to see this place from another perspective.
Careen
23 April 2018
It’s good place for picnics and chillin...this is also the place where one of the Narnia Prince Caspian movie scene was taken...????❤️
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Map
99-104 Grange Rd S, Hahei 3591, New Zealand Get directions
Sat 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Sun 10:00 AM–7:00 PM
Mon 11:00 AM–7:00 PM
Tue-Wed 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Thu 11:00 AM–4:00 PM

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