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When you're on locum assignment in New Zealand, you'll see that one of the best parts about living in this nation is its gorgeous beaches. From the unique Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula to the surfing hot spot Piha Beach in West Auckland, there is no shortage of stunning stretches of sand.
However, if you want to indulge in a more private beach experience, you should look no further than Smugglers Cove in Whangarei, a city in the Northland Region. In the past, this beach was frequented by Scottish settlers who weren't crazy about paying taxes on their imported liquor. To get around doing so, they instructed cargo ships to anchor just offshore of what is now called Smugglers Cove. Then the settlers would row out to the ships, take the barrels of liquor back to shore and hide them in the area's many sand dunes.
Today, most visitors frequent the beach not to hide their liquor, but to hide away in their own private stretch of sand. To get to the cove, you must park at Urquharts Bay Road and head south through its open grasslands. After a 1.25-mile (2-km) walk, you will arrive at the cove, which is perfect for swimming, fishing and diving. Typically, this walk is just enough to deter large crowds from making the trip, causing the beach to be remarkably uncrowded, even during the summer months.