The Abel Tasman is New Zealand’s most popular walk. With its temperate climate, strangely sculpted boulder formations, jade-colored ocean, and golden beaches, it’s easy to understand why.

Video / Carson Bluck The Herald Travel’s annual search for New Zealand’s best beaches is under way for another year, and the competition is hot: Will fan-favourite Ōhope retain the crown?

But what criteria does New Zealand’s best camping beach need to meet? Your ultimate winner should tick all the boxes: swell views, stunning nature and somewhere to, you know, camp. Whether it be ...