Summer in New Zealand: Five Beach Essentials

Take These Five Essentials the Next Time You Hit the Beach

For some of us, going to the beach is as simple as throwing a towel over you shoulder, grabbing the pre-packed beach bag and away you go. For others, particularly if you have a big family in tow, getting ready means packing beach trundlers, surfboards, the BBQ and the kitchen sink. Whatever your approach to summer in New Zealand is, make sure you have these 5 beach essentials the next time you and your family hit the beach:

1. Plastic free sunscreen
2. A re-useable water bottle
3. A hat
4. Insect repellent
5. Some form of shade

Disclaimer: What we should also probably mention is that on any given NZ summers day, it will probably be too windy to wear a hat, the sandflies won’t be able to fly, your sun shade will most definitely get blown away and you won’t be at the beach long enough to need your drink bottle, like it was the day we took this photo! But hey, you always need sunscreen haha!

1. Plastic free sunscreen

No beach bag is complete without sunscreen. While you may think you need a huge 1L bottle, one tin of Seasick Sunscreen goes an incredibly long way. Our aluminium tins are durable meaning you can throw them into the beach bag and away you go. They are plastic-free and recyclable meaning no plastic waste going to landfill and no plastic pollution entering the ocean – win win!

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2. Re-useable water bottle

Dehydration is what can make you feel totally wiped after a long day at the beach or too much sun exposure. A stainless steel insulated water bottle like Dawny Coolers keeps your drink nice and cold at the beach and you can use them again and again. We use a 950ml cooler (as pictured). 

3. A hat

Wearing a hat is one of the best ways to avoid excess sun exposure. They offer additional protection for your face which is one of the most likely places you will get burnt. You can always find hats at second hand stores so investing in one (or more) hats doesn’t have to cost much.

4. Insect repellent

While we have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, we also have some of the worst sandflies! We use Zoe’s Kawakawa Bugs Away Spray to keep the bugs away! This gentle spray is safe for sensitive skin. Seriously, this stuff is so good that I use it at night to form a protective shield above my body as I lie in bed so I can sleep with the windows open!

5. Shade

The best NZ beaches have shade in the form of the beautiful Pōhutukawa trees. Not every beach has natural shade so grab an umbrella, gazebo or beach tent to keep you and the chilly bin cool. Staying out of the sun between 10am-2pm is one of the best things you can do to protect your skin (understandably that's not very practical for most people).

Related blog posts:

Can you recycle plastic sunscreen bottles?

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