Otama Beach
T
he drive over Black Jack hill to
Otama Beach
can be a bit daunting, but
well worth it if you desire a sheltered beach experience at one of the more
untouched beaches on the Peninsula. Glistening white sand and beautiful
clear waters make it perfect for swimming and snorkelling with an
occasional good surf. The beach is backed by a protected wetland nature
reserve and rolling dunes, home for a variety of birdlife.
Otama Beach is one of the really special locations on the Eastern Coromandel
coast, which is talked about with such warmth and enthusiasm. It’s a little
removed from the ‘main drag’ of beach destinations, but every time I’ve been
there it’s been worth every minute of the journey (including the steep descent to
the beach from Kuaotunu on the winding metal road, which unveils a magnificent
vista, but is not for the faint-hearted or those that suffer from vertigo!)
This painting was taken from a day quite recently: I was visiting local studios as
part of the Art Escape Tour, the sun was hot and the breeze beautifully cooling...
I’d just dented the back bumper of a car I’d borrowed from my friend, so was
feeling a bit upset and cross with myself, so I paused on my way back to Kuaotunu
(where a fantastic coffee and carrot cake muffin were calling my name at
Blackjack Espresso) to soak up the view and walk along the sand.
Every time I’ve seen this undulating stretch of land curving off in to the
distance, it has looked different, and I love that about the landscape: it
changes with the seasons and the weather, evolving all the time. It had been
a dry Summer so the hills were more of an olive brown than lush green, but
they still looked proud and stately, reaching off into the sea.
“Otama Bay” by Claire Elliot
A
fter reaching Otama, continue east
on Black Jack Road to Opito Bay
and on even further to Matapaua Bay,
a rare treat. The road is flatter here,
but still unsealed. Once at the beach,
drive along Opito Bay Road for an
unobstructed view of the lengthy
shoreline, with ‘the Mercs’ (Mercury
Islands) in the distance.
This idyllic beach is lined with baches
and their many tractors sporting
boat trailers for flat beach launching.
Snorkelling, diving, water skiing, surf
fishing, hiking, and biking are popular
holiday activities.
Opito beach
“Sunlight Patterns on Otama Beach” by Ian Patrick
