Laid back sophistication is the key, with all the necessary amenities, excellent licenced well stocked shop, takeaways, all day breakfast, cappuccino and postal service. Tel 06 372-3476.

The resort brags to have one of the best nine hole golf links in the country, where one can nearly see the Pacific Ocean from every tee. The modern licenced club house - the watering hole for familiar faces also overlooks the tennis courts. Tel 06 372-3416.

A surf club with strong membership is active over most of the summer seasons. Tel 06 372-3461 or click here for more information.

Many hectares of rocks are exposed during low tide at either end of the two mile bay creating a family playground for fishing, snorkeling and crayfishing. The North end of the bay has the better and larger rocky outcrops creating sheltered inlets and rock pools, which are ideal for launching small boats to fish the many reefs. Catches of fish include Moki, Butterfish, Kawai, Blue & Red Cod as well as many other species. The exposed reef in three places 2 km out to sea creates a great place for scuba diving and boat fishing where Groper have been caught.

This groper was caught in a small inflatable boat by twin rocks, approx two km off the beach and part of a reef which exposes itself in three places. The three outcrops are called sugar loaf, twin rocks and shark rock. The crayfish aren't quite as big as this one!

Water skiing, canoeing and flounder fishing are the main activities at the Whareama River, only 14 kilometres from the beach. This river is tidal for several miles and is often very sheltered and a great picnic spot, herring and mullet fishing off the small wood jetty next to the concrete boat ramp.