New Chums Beach, White sand beach in Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand

New Chums Beach is a white sand beach on the Coromandel Peninsula stretching about one kilometer and bordered by thick forest of nikau palms and pohutukawa trees. The entire coastline remains completely undeveloped with no buildings, roads, or facilities of any kind.

In 2010 a Queenstown developer drew up plans for 20 houses, a boatshed and a ramp on land behind the beach. Campaigns against the scheme followed, as the bay is one of the last sizable undeveloped beaches in the area. In 2006 The Observer had already listed it among the world's top 20 deserted beaches.

The bay is called Wainuiototo, and the beach's English name comes from visitors who came to explore it. In 2010 a Queenstown developer proposed 20 houses, a boatshed and a ramp on the land behind the sand, prompting campaigns to save the beach and surrounding land from development.

New Chums Beach is reached by a track from Whangapoua that can only be crossed at low tide, so time your walk around the tide. The other option is arrival by boat. There are no facilities, so carry everything you need and check tide times before setting out.

The bay behind the sand is called Wainuiototo, and the beach sits near Whangapoua on the northeast Coromandel coast. In 2010 a Queenstown developer proposed 20 houses, a boatshed and a ramp on the land, prompting campaigns to keep the beach and its native bush undeveloped.