Caroline Bay Beach
Caroline Bay Beach
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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4.5
404 reviews
Excellent
221
Very good
138
Average
30
Poor
11
Terrible
4
JeremyWan
Hong Kong, China125 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
The water was not too cold and it's only dark at around 9.30pm so we had plenty of time to walk around the beach. We went back at night (around 10pm) to find some blue penguins, they were so adorable. What a lovely trip!
Written 2 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vista viewer 77
41 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
Beautiful light turquoise water and soft sandy beach in an inlet. Extremely walkable and easy access from the cruise port. Blue penguins nest here so areas are cordoned off for their protection. Since they tend to come out at dusk not seen during daytime.
Written 5 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lyn C
Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand161 contributions
Jan 2020
Lovely sheltered beach. Music by live band to sit and watch.
Grandson went on two rides very inexpensive. One was water rolling balls the other was like a flying octopus.
Had hotdogs were great.
Walked around lots of people was a fun atmosphere.
With Son his wife and son from Dunedin, Daughter from Temuka and my husband and I .
Grandson went on two rides very inexpensive. One was water rolling balls the other was like a flying octopus.
Had hotdogs were great.
Walked around lots of people was a fun atmosphere.
With Son his wife and son from Dunedin, Daughter from Temuka and my husband and I .
Written 29 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eudyptula
2 contributions
Mar 2020
12/03/20202 As one of the volunteers looking after the Little Penguins at Caroline Bay I would like to let everyone know that the breeding season is well and truly over. There are now only occasional sightings of penguins from Marine Parade, which is the very best place to see any if you are so lucky. The breeding season starts again some time in August, when I will report back.
Written 10 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathy O
Dunedin, New Zealand40 contributions
Mar 2021 • Solo
Great place for a family. The boardwalk great for anyone on wheels. I walk this often. But see elder person's on ride ons, Mums with prams or little one on trikes with trainer wheels
Written 19 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RippinKittin86
Muotathal, Switzerland94 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
The aviary in this park is a disgrace. The poor birds are kept in small dirty cages. The cacadou had no enrichments at all, not even any plants! Everything was dirty and the birds are so lonely and bored I could have cried at the sight of them. This is a depressing place and this is what I will remember Tiamu for, disgusting.
The park around is also not much to look at, avoid this depressing and sad spectacle.
The park around is also not much to look at, avoid this depressing and sad spectacle.
Written 24 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SD2606
Christchurch, New Zealand2,465 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
Charming Caroline Bay Beach
There are so many elements to Caroline Bay Beach that need to mentioned. There should be more pages to separate its wonderful features here on Trip Adviser.
The actual Caroline Bay Beach:
Lovely clean beach with white sand. Voted one of NZ’s best 10 beaches?
We went in autumn so we weren’t swimming, but got to admire the nice sand, smooth water and tussocks that line it.
Toilets located at the playground.
Volley ball nets set up to use.
There was a permanent raft that you could swim out to which had a slide coming off it. Fun for summer!
Caroline Bay walking tracks:
A nice walking track alongside the beach that takes you down to the beach and then there are a few tracks that lead up to the cute little lighthouse.
Caroline Bay C Play – playground:
This is a truly excellent playground. Opened in December 2023. Brand new, modern, safe, great features, made of quality materials, attractive and just brilliant. The best and the biggest in NZ I heard.
Has a roller skating area.
Has a paddling pool.
Has an Avery.
Has rose garden.
Has plenty of grass to play on.
It had a mini golf, ice cream hut and mini carnival rides there also, but were closed on the weekend when we went in the autumn school holidays.
Our children spent 2 hours playing here.
They really ought to get a coffee van down there for the parents as no café was open onsite.
There are so many elements to Caroline Bay Beach that need to mentioned. There should be more pages to separate its wonderful features here on Trip Adviser.
The actual Caroline Bay Beach:
Lovely clean beach with white sand. Voted one of NZ’s best 10 beaches?
We went in autumn so we weren’t swimming, but got to admire the nice sand, smooth water and tussocks that line it.
Toilets located at the playground.
Volley ball nets set up to use.
There was a permanent raft that you could swim out to which had a slide coming off it. Fun for summer!
Caroline Bay walking tracks:
A nice walking track alongside the beach that takes you down to the beach and then there are a few tracks that lead up to the cute little lighthouse.
Caroline Bay C Play – playground:
This is a truly excellent playground. Opened in December 2023. Brand new, modern, safe, great features, made of quality materials, attractive and just brilliant. The best and the biggest in NZ I heard.
Has a roller skating area.
Has a paddling pool.
Has an Avery.
Has rose garden.
Has plenty of grass to play on.
It had a mini golf, ice cream hut and mini carnival rides there also, but were closed on the weekend when we went in the autumn school holidays.
Our children spent 2 hours playing here.
They really ought to get a coffee van down there for the parents as no café was open onsite.
Written 22 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Strickes
Rotorua District, New Zealand1,588 contributions
Aug 2022
We visited here recently while travelling the South Island. Main reason for visiting, I have a picture of my Grandmother taken approx 100 years ago on this beach. So it was kind of a trip down memory lane of the pic I have of her.
Lovely sandy beach to walk along, also a board walk type area also. It was a pity many of the tracks up from the beach were water logged and barely walkable.
Still a lovely spot and I am glad we visited.
Lovely sandy beach to walk along, also a board walk type area also. It was a pity many of the tracks up from the beach were water logged and barely walkable.
Still a lovely spot and I am glad we visited.
Written 31 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rachnz69
Tauranga, New Zealand31 contributions
Dec 2024 • Family
What an amazing place to visit. Missed out on the carnival but saw it beginning to get set up.
Fabulous playground, something for all ages, water area for younger children. Train rides run by Lions volunteers.
Walked along the beach & saw many blue bottle jellyfish.
The birdhouse was cool.
Fabulous playground, something for all ages, water area for younger children. Train rides run by Lions volunteers.
Walked along the beach & saw many blue bottle jellyfish.
The birdhouse was cool.
Written 25 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GXDL
Sunshine Coast, Australia123 contributions
May 2014 • Business
Caroline Bay was a summer-time Mecca for Kiwis from the 1900's until port development over the last couple of decades. In addition to the vibrant summer carnival activities staged by the Caroline Bay Association annually, Caroline Bay was famous for it's pristine soft shimmering white sand and safe swimming - better even than more famous Noosa and Bondi. I remember. I visited The Bay every year from the mid 50's until the 1970's!
To its credit Timaru has invested in significant infrastructure to support continuing seasonal interest in the precinct but port construction has resulted in 'The Bay actual' becoming now just a beach - bereft of sand and strewn with washed up flotsam. Exports obviously earn more than tourism. Go there only for the summer carnival.
To its credit Timaru has invested in significant infrastructure to support continuing seasonal interest in the precinct but port construction has resulted in 'The Bay actual' becoming now just a beach - bereft of sand and strewn with washed up flotsam. Exports obviously earn more than tourism. Go there only for the summer carnival.
Written 5 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I used to live in Timaru from '75 to '79,is it my imagination or does the tide go out a lot further now?
Written 21 May 2016
Yes. its all to do with extra sand arriving on the beach. It being sheltered by the harbour breakwater the sand settles there rather than being swept north
Written 28 May 2016
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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