Anaura Bay is a beautiful bay with safe swimming on the East Cape. Some have even written that it is the prettiest beach in NZ, although the competition is very fierce! It requires a side trip down Anaura Road from a turnoff on State Highway 35, about 12 minutes north of Tolaga Bay.
Once there, it is very quiet, with a marae at the south end and a few houses at the north end. You can also camp in the bay at the north end near the entrance to the Anaura Bay Walkway. This track climbs quite steeply to about 150 metres above the beach before dropping down through a pine forest to follow the Waipare Stream back to the beach.
Captain James Cook landed there in 1769 in search of suppliers, and there is a plaque near the end of the access road.
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