At the northern end of Rarangi Beach, is a small and picturesque beach called Monkey Bay - sorry folks, you won't find any monkeys here, just awesome views!

There is a scenic track that take you up some stairs and along a track, high above the ocean and down to Monkey Bay. There is a lookout after the stairs, that has expansive views across Rarangi Beach and after that, Monkey Bay comes into view and in my opinion, it looks like a beach in Thailand. There is a short downhill walk to the bay.

The beach itself is quite small and at low tide you're able to walk around to another sandy part of the bay. It's a great spot for chilling and swimming in summer but any time of the year is ideal for visiting.

We like collecting shells and rocks here and looking at the cool rock formations on the cliffs.

There is a short cave at the beach where the ocean surges in and out of, from the other side of the bay at high tide. It's cool to watch but I wouldn't go in it!

Things to know:

• Parts of the track have steep drop offs, so take care on the track, especially with kids

• The track takes 20-mins return

• At low tide, you can walk around to the other part of Monkey Bay, otherwise it's cut off at high tide

• This is a small bay which can get busy in the summer months (Dec - Feb)

• To the left of the stairs, at the beginning of the trail, there is a short track leading to some cave to be explored (they are called Daddy Watson's Cave on Google Maps). Let someone know before you go, take a torch and you may even be able to spot some glowworms here.

• The beach can often have piles of driftwood at the tideline, which is fun for creating art and huts

Parking: There is a carpark at the end of Rarangi Beach Road.

Getting there: The track begins at the carpark - look out for the stairs.