Reviews of Hahei Explorer Cathedral Cove Boat Tour. (Travel Agency) in Whitianga (Waikato).

Hahei Explorer Cathedral Cove Boat Tour

243 Reviews

156 Comments

Travel Agency

Boat tour agency

End of the beach, Wigmore Crescent, Hahei 3591, New Zealand

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Description

Information of Hahei Explorer Cathedral Cove Boat Tour, Travel Agency in Whitianga (Waikato)

Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.

This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!

Map

Open hours of Hahei Explorer Cathedral Cove Boat Tour

Sunday

8am–6pm

Monday

8am–6pm

Tuesday

8am–6pm

Wednesday

8am–6pm

Thursday

8am–6pm

Friday

8am–6pm

Saturday

8am–6pm

Popular times

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Tuesday

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Thursday

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Friday

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Saturday

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Reviews of Hahei Explorer Cathedral Cove Boat Tour

A super fast and thrilling ride. Lots of bumps and laughs. Loved the small boat, only 6 on our tour. The tour driver was great, a bit hard to hear him from the front of the boat where I was though. Beautiful sights. Recommend this tour.

Due to bad weather our kayaking was canceled and we were offered the Hahei Explorer. The waves made for an interesting trip. It was rough and very bumpy, but I’m glad we did the trip. An interesting way to explore the local area. The boats handle the sea swells well, but be prepared for some adrenaline. All in a days work.

We went on this boat trip in 2019, as recommended by the place we were staying. We really enjoyed it, especially the cave with the blowhole and Cathedral Cove. I was unfortunately in the place in the boat where I got wet, but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the trip. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Taking The Hahei Explorer was the perfect way to see the stunning coastline, including Cathedral Cove.

I’m so glad we chose this instead of walking to the cove. Once in a lifetime experience. Our host was Russ and he did a fantastic job explaining about everything we were seeing. The blow hole is truly a surprise. It’s insane how long one hour can feel especially because they cover so many spots around before bringing you back. We did leave our shoes at the beach and one of the staff stays behind to take care of your belongings. Climbing on to the boat, you do get wet lol. We carried our phones and were able to take pics and videos when they stop at places to explain. Honestly I’d love to go again next time we visit. Just perfect.

Very professional group of people. Oscar is a great story teller and very pleasant personality. The office staff is great at communication too. They let us know in advance when the weather was not good for the tour and rescheduled it. Very nice bunch of people.

We did the Hahei Explorer today with Oscar and it was an amazing experience. We loved every minute of it and the sights you see from the boat are just incredible. A Hahei must do for sure. A great team of friendly people running it too which made it even better 👏

Great tour! Such beautiful views from the water!

An excellent experience My wife and I experienced the Cathedral Cove Boat tour operated by Hahei Explorer. It was a wonderful experience for both of us. The sea was reasonably calm, our skipper Ross informative and skillful. What's more - there were no other passengers - which meant it was like a private charter for just the two of us. We were treated to some incredible sights - and one can understand the true power of nature, and the delights it can bring. We took a 9 am tour. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone.

A must do! My family enjoyed a lot from the tour. The views are just beautiful, not only the iconic Cathedral Cove. Loved to see fishes and had lots of fun with the speed and even the see spray. The tour guide is very friendly and informative.

One of the best experiences I've ever had. Went in November when Auckland was in lockdown. It was v quiet in Hahei, but the weather was amazing (for a Wellingtonian) - sunny felt like summer but not too hot. The tour surpassed any expectations, blown away & inspired by the natural beauty and incredible sights. Our guide was lovely, knowledgeable plus had a good sense of humour too. Also special thanks for dog sitting, arrived back to husky sitting upright in a directors chair on the beach, under sun umbrella surveying her kingdom. Dog was very pleased with herself & the situation of finally being treated like a human! Lols

Awesome piece of New Zealand that you get to see that you never normally would, the boat driver/tour guide is insanely good at handling the boat and is super chill and has interesting commentary. Will most likely go again. Try to pick a day where there is hardly any wind

Amazing 1 hour tour of the Hahei bays and Cathedral Cove. Highly recommended 5*

To Tim and the team at Hahei Explorer...so pleased we delayed our boat tour by one day to ensure we got to see the blowhole with some amazing pictures taken also. Thanks so much for this experience. Everyone we have shared our videos and photos with are very keen to come and explore this part of the world. We will be back.

Loved our tour with Hahei Explorer. In addition to Cathedral Cove, we got to see some of the surrounding caves and the beautiful fish in the marine reserve. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable and fun - would recommend.

Brilliant tour on the rubber ducky boat with skipper Rob. After taking off the first visit is Cook's Cove and Lonley Bay, with the boat going entirely into an old opened up blow hole showing an awesome view of the jungle above. Additional to this we visited more coves and sea cliff's while receiving great info for our tour guide. At one point we stopped to feed some local snapper fish which was great. I would highly recommend taking the rubber ducky boat, you achieve a lot in an hour and it's easier than paddling a kayak. I would suggest go early as possible to avoid winds and swell in the ocean

Possibly THE BEST ACTIVITY to do when visiting Coromandel! Oh boi, where do I even begin... I woke up to a terrible stomache and had to miss the 10AM booking with these guys. Terribly enough, there was no service at the hotel to give them a call. Still, they waited, for 40 mins :( It was 2PM, I finally started feeling better and managed to get some service near the hotel. Gave them a call and in less than 30mins, I was on a boat to the bautiful Cathedral Cave. Tom and Jess are really the best in the biz guyss! Summer or Winter, it'd still be just as amazing with these two :) Can't wait to see you two again in a few months. And this time, I'm bringing a squad with me HAHA. P/s: I also forgot to bring a jacket and they were kind enough to offer me two LMAO.

In my personal experience I really enjoyed this trip they explained everything with humor but it was also interesting, is fantastic to be in the sea and see the caves from the water, also you will see more than only cathedral Cove, lovely trip is worthy of the time.

Fantastic 1 hour trip, visiting much more than just Cathedral Cove. Knowledgeable skipper’s commentary really added to the enjoyment.

An absolute blast getting out on the water with Skipper Harry on the Hahei Explorer. Lots of great facts and beautiful scenery - would recommend to anyone visiting the coromandel.

We arrived to the beach early. Google Map pointed us to stop near some private houses with a stairs leading us to the beach. There were not much "public" car park nearby and thus, we asked the Hahei Explorer crew where to park our car. We were advised to park near one of the nearby houses, so long that we were not obstructing their way. After suiting up (with life jacket), our family of 5 (including 3 young kids aged 9, 11 & 13) boarded the rubber dinghy. We waddled few steps in the cool water before boarding - thus, do know that your feet will get wet (when we got on and off). Thus, it would be good idea to leave your shoes on shore where they have boxes for storage. They have also offered a water/splash proof bag for us to hold our items - very thoughtful of them. We started with a dash to see some lovely rock formations (champagne rock). It was a fast ride and the kids had to hold on tight. With this, it maybe good to bring a light wind breaker as it may get chilly for some (non Kiwis). It was followed by visit to a blowhole, few sea caves, a marine/fish sanctuary and of course, Cathedral Cove. The guide was knowledgeable and shared the various teutonic events leading to the rock formation. He was also most kind to "attract" fishes (snappers I believed), allowing us to see these lovely fishes close up. We were glad that we brought along a underwater camera which helped us to capture some close up of these lovely fishes. We managed to see Cathedral Cove with the cave from the sea. It was good to witness such views from a boat in the sea. This was probably the best (& fastest) way to see and explore the area. PS - Do bring your sunglasses, suntan lotion and do not wear hat/cap - at almost 20 knots per hour, it will be easy to lose any loose items, hats/caps especially. Note that there are no public toilets nearby and do use the toilet before making your way there.

Don’t do the taxi. Take the tour. They take you into 4 coves not including cathedral cove. The fast boat experience was very fun. I felt like we got our moneys worth for sure.

We really enjoyed our ride with Hahei, OSCAR was the Guy who took us for a ride . He is very friendly and the way he explained places shows his proffessionalism . He is a assets to the company.

Coromandel is a beautiful place. Cathedral cove is awesome. Boat ride was fine. They took us to different places. But if you have time you can reach all the main places included in the tour by walk except for the islands they showed. The tour was around 1 hour. Communication was great, Some improvements can be , help take few pictures in the blow hole, cathedral cove etc. Also if they can add a 10-15 minutes stop in Cathedral cove for pictures and enjoying the scenic beauty that would be great. Average experience over all.

Very cool boating tour. You will see the beautifully magical places, blowholes and sceneries you wouldn’t get to see without a boat.

Great trip with skilled, friendly and informative hosts. We were able to see things only ever accessible by the water.

Fantastic experience - we went on the 8am trip and it was brilliant. Great service, amazing views.

Such an amazing experience! So completely worth it! The team is super friendly and knowledgeable about the area as well. Thanks guys😁

Awesome experience, once in a life time experience. Staff were amazing and extremely knowledgeable! Highly recommended

Excellent and informative tour of Te Whanganui a Hei Marine Reserve & Cathedral Cove - highly recommended tour :)

Awesome experience, loved learning more about the area. A must do if you are ever in Hahei.

Went on the Hahei explorer today and had a fantastic and educational tour of Hahei beach and surrounding bays. The lady who met us on the beach was very personable and gave us a rundown of what to expect. Michael was the skipper and tour guide and was friendly and informative and very skilled at taking the boat into some hard to get to places. Would highly recommend this one hour boat trip Thanks again to the Hahei explorer team David Eggleton

We really enjoyed our hour cruising at high speed the coastline around Hahei. Awesome commentary. Great trip.

Amazing boat ride and tour out on the water. There are 6 or so people to each boat so it is a small and private tour. Our guide was super helpful and we had a close up view of several coves and historic places. One thing to know is the parking and meeting spot were hard to find. There is a small parking lot down from the main large lot but it is in a residential neighborhood and not as well marked. If you park in the large lot up top, just walk straight down from there to the beach. On the beach there is a a tent which is the meeting spot. If you call and they will help you find it.

Had a awesome experience Beautiful day on the water with plenty of knowledge from our awesome skipper Thank-you Oscar for the day

We had an awesome time on the Hahei Explorer, our guide Ross was very informative and made sure we had a great time, he did get a bit upset when some of our group tried to reenact the scene from the front of the boat in titanic but that was understandable as he was only looking out for our safety. We loved swimming in the blowhole in our undies and jumping off the rocks. Would definitely recommend and if you can get them to take you up the Purangi river to the hive for a couple of drinks then you're in for a good time.

One of the most phenomenal experiences you can have as a Kiwi , the rich history of our East Coast & the natural beauty of this land . Hahei Explorer are a polished act , knowledgeable and the keepers of the integrity of our coastal marine sanctuaries.....very impressed with Tom , our skipper . Dude you get 10/10 ..you rock .!!👌

Absolutely amazing. It is so much better to see all the caves from the water. Also you will see much more than only Cathedral Cave. The service at Hahei Explorer is really helpful and they do everything to maximize the experience. Also the boats they use are great - you can really feel the water. All in all highly recommended. Great value for money.

We took a walk to Cathedral cove from top of the hill. There is parking available and you can take pram/stoller if you have kids and make sure to leave the pram aside when you see stairs in the end. One of the beautiful locations and worth walking

What can i say ? The best way to see stunning Hahei - intimate, interactive, personal !!!

Loved it!! Fantastic trip. Amazing commentary at each stop. Being so low to the water really gives you an exhilarating feeling. Challenging getting into the boat in the water without getting wet. Day we went was a bit choppy & 3 of the 8 on board ended up getting soaked helping get the boat launched. Use wet bag offered for camera & phones until you are underway, even then, be careful. I would advise keeping everything in wet bag until each stop, even just for the spray. I had a few rogue waves get me wet but dried off quickly. Saw lots of fish, incredible to see them swimming freely. Really very highly recommend this tour. Loved it & can't wait to go again. 10/10👍👍

Fabulous. We highly recommend this tour of Cathedral Cove and surrounding coastline. The skipper Tom was very knowledgeable and amiable. This smaller boat can get you into caves and the blowhole whereas the bigger boats aren't able to. The ride was exhilarating.

I'm an Irish backpacker living and working in Hahei and just did the explorer boat tour with my colleague. We both had an amazing time and would recommend this activity to anyone visiting Hahei.The staff were great, knowledgeable and they drive you around all the beautiful spots that Hahei has to offer. You'll see amazing caves, scenic coasts, surrounding islands and local wildlife. Beautiful natural, untouched locations that are only accessible by boat.

I went on a trip last Saturday and it was unreal. The experience of being on the boat and seeing all these magical sites PLUS the local expertise of the area and the skills of the skipper - I still have a smile on my face! Thanks for making the experience so easy and enjoyable; from the girl in the booking office, and the girl on the beach - you all rock!

Went along with my group in double kayaks. My first time doing this kayak experience. Weather was perfect and waves weren't too bad. Tour guides were Lewy and Chance (don't know the proper spelling). They were very experienced and guided us through the safety, techniques and history of the area. Reason why it isn't 5 stars, just more personal. It's was tiring for the arms and shoulders. Also, during the trip, legs will start cramping a little, and lower back will start to hurt a little. Overall, good choice if you're adventurous or exercise often. Very beautiful scenery, if you have the energy to spend after kayaking throughout the journey. If you're not that adventurous, or not that healthy, would recommend the Hahei Explorer because it goes along the same route as well.

I think the best of the 3 on offer. 1 hr but smaller boat

Just excellent - very friendly relaxed staff. Hugely knowledgeable guide who did a fantastic job. Highly recommended. We hadn't anticipated it would be a full hour in the boat, but were delighted with the entire trip. Fabulous beach too, but the boat trip brought it to life.

Absolutely loved our experience. A great and quick way to see the cathedral cove, other small islands, some smaller caves and Champagne Bay. If you have just a day to visit this area I would highly recommend this trip. Our guide was friendly and their team was very helpful. I was travelling with my older parents and was a little worried if they would be able to get on/off the boat, but everyone helped out. Also if you are a scared of water sports but want to experience what this place has to offer then again I recommend them! They are very skilled at driving the speed boat and will not make you feel uncomfortable. Their directions for the tour meet up point were well pointed out, but we were slightly unsure of ourselves as the road is a residential neighbourhood and the beach walk sign is small and located right at the end.

Awesome tour! Fantastic guide who related well to the wide range of ages in our group (10 - 70ish). He had all the information on the marine life, geology of the harbour and the other boats out on the harbour. Great fun being able to enter the caves and see the outer islands. Thanks guys.

What an awesome experience this was. We were soaking wet before we even set off as the sea was so rough. (Be careful with cameras etc as it it impossible to keep them dry). The views were stunning and well worth the soaking!! Highly recommend this trip but not for the faint hearted.

Awesome experience, we managed to see two seals and one Orca! Fantastic way to see Cathedral Cove, the surrounding coast and Islands. The guides and staff were super friendly and knowledgeable even staying out a little longer to see more of the whale. Beautiful and cost effective way to see this beautiful part of NZ and gain some local knowledge.

We were on the fence about doing the boat tour but it's so worth it! Lovely team of staff and such an insanely beautiful piece of NZ you really won't regret doing it

We went to Hahei explorer tour last week end (thru Coromandal Adventures), It's very nice circular boating tour around Hahei covering Cathedral coves closely , Hahei beach, diving spots, and the weather carved beautiful rocks, would be nice if this is explored closely via boating than to see from the higher view point. The boat captain shared lot of information very patiently. It's totally a wonderful trip, everyone needs to go when visiting Coromandal.

the natural beauty of this area spoke for itself. The tour was very informative and I would highly recommend to anyone staying in the area to take this tour first.

This is a must see destination. A great beach in the cove that is great for swimming. The walk to the cove is picturesque with wild blackberries to eat along the way. A few nice coves on the hour long walk it took from Hahei.

Don't expect too much as you will be in a small boat. However, the experience itself is fantastic. I have done many similar things in different places and countries and honestly this small company gives you your money worth of fun and information.

Had the good fortune of going on this trip recently. Perfect conditions certainly added to our experience but also dealing with Tom who organised our booking and met us on the beach and Quentin who was our skipper, just made it all the better!! Tom is extremely amicable and easy to deal with. Quentin made us all feel very safe and gave us a wonderful commentary on the geography of the coast and all the highlights that make the area so outstanding. All in all it was a fantastic trip and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to seek out the natural beauty of our gorgeous Coromandel coastline and have a little adrenalin hit at the same time. Thanks so much!!! Leigh Gilchrist.

A most enjoyable hour it was. I learnt a lot and the guide was very knowledgeable. Quite hard to locate but just plug into google maps and it takes you right there

It was a little rough for our trip so it left from Pūrangi beach instead. Was a great trip and highly recommended, even on a rough day.

Absolutely thrilling experience. Very nice staff and good information during the tour.

Great views and guide was knowledgeable. Good way tonsee the cove without hiking down. Shame i was stuck behind and between people so my photos dont capture the beauty without other peoples heads in the way

Went at 9am which was the best time to go Was just the 2 of us💕 Was just the right amount of time and sae some beautiful scenery, well worth the Money - a bucket list thing and a must do, not complicated and good easy going staff Thanks

Fantastic boat tour taking in all the highlights of the coast and islands around Hahei. A must do when coming to the Coromandel. Go at high tide to see the amazing blowhole!

Amazing experience with the best crew!! Ross and Tom really looked after us and made the tour so much fun!

Fantastic trip. We were in smaller ribs which ment we could go inside the caves. This is the best look no further .

Great experience. Staff were great and their tour boats got you into places bigger boats couldn't get to.

This is one of the best things Ive done for a long time. Well worth the price and would do it again. Amazing scenery and the skipper was full of great commentary.

Wow. We had the 1hr boat tour and it felt like we only did it for 10minutes. It was a great experience.

Great value for money!! See so much more than the Cathedral Cove. It’s a must do!!

A good one hour ride, with awesome views of the cathedral cove, some great marine reserves, caves, blue waters. Definitely needs to be tried.

Must go!! Awesome experience and informative guide. Will definitely reccommend to everyone who visits NZ.

Went on the 9am trip and it was fantastic would highly recommend it. The guide was helpful and informative the hour flew by.

Nice beach but not so amazing as it said. Parking is small so arrive early or walk a lot of pay 10 $ to park in some private driveway.

Knowledgeable and friendly guide, great way to explore the conservation area, beaches and caves!

You just have to try this. I could write so much, but I refuse to deny you the wow moments you deserve. Oscar for the welcome, and Michael for bring a superb captain/guide. Thank You.

A fantastic tour around the inner harbour and Cathedral Cove. The driver/guide was excellent and knowledgeable

Breathtaking views, cave exploring, animal sightings! We had a blast! Cant wait to go back 😀

Excellent, highly recommended

A very memorable experience. No need to fear expertly handled boat and very knowledgeable skipper.

Very nice view from cathedral Cove and also don't forget to stop at Gemstone Bay on the way

Great guide. Cute too. Would do it again for sure. We have a beautiful part of the country here

Lots of fun and well worth the money. Would definitely do this again. Beautiful sights.

Wow what a gem of spot! These guys really know their backyard. Awesome tour. :)

It was a great experience and great ride mad enjoyable by the great service

Did the tour with 3 and 4y old kids. Was geat fun and also not too long!

Really friendly staff, great boat ride... Highly recommend!

Nothing to say but do it!! I loved it and Michael was a great tour guide

What a great experience. Such beautiful scenery. Thanks to the staff.

Excellent trip great scenery up close with professional skipper and commentary up close.

This was great. There's some extra spots to go into if you hit it at high tide.

Thank you Tom for this moment, for all the explainations and for taking care of our beautiful nature.

These guys are cool. Whanau loved the trip

Fantastic way to see the surrounding islands. Very scenic.

Wonderful experience. Good staff and experienced drivers.

Extremely beautiful views and a fun way to see them

Highly reccomended, will definitely do it again.

Amazing service. Had a fantastic time!!

Fantastic So much packed into 1 hour

For a great nature walk and a superb natural beauty

Must Do. Damn NZ has so many things to Awe me

Decided not to stay as it seems like a nice venture

Awesome view, friendly staff.

Beautiful beach ....excellent your guide

Beautiful boat trip with stunning vistas

Loved it alsome diving aswell

Very nice tour

it's worth it

Wonderful sights and great narration

Very cool in winter!

A New Zealand 5 Star experience

One of the must do things if you are in Hahei.

Ok. Not amazing though I thought

Must see and do for anybody in New Zealand

Great ecperience. Worth it!

It's so beautiful

Experience of a lifetime! Must do.

Must go place in NZ

Good

Amazing.

Amazing!

Perfect location to relax

Detailed informative awesome

Amazing

Fantastic experience

Beautiful

Great experience

Lovely day

Tom and the team were just amazing. Thanks so much for a great tour filled with fun, information, and wild life 😁

How incredible. I've been coming to hahei for 10 years and have never had this much fun and seen all these things! Very informative, amazing views and just quintessentially New Zealand. A Must Do in Hahei.

One of the best things I've ever done and the most perfect date idea. Sorry for being late.

(Translated) Great Tour! Highly recommended! (Original) Super Tour! Sehr empfehlenswert!

(Translated) expensive, but worth it (Original) dispendieux , mais vaut la peine

(Translated) The end of the guide is nice and professional. A wonderful cruise between cliffs and caves. (Original) תום המדריך נחמד ומקצועי. שייט נפלא בין צוקים ומערות.