[3] Port Waikato is a well-known surfing and whitebaiting destination and a popular holiday spot.

Fish can be caught off the rocks and surf beach, and off the sand dunes that border the river mouth.

[5] Weathertop footage from the Lord of the Rings was filmed in limestone outcrops just south of the town.

[3] A school camp was established near the town in the 1920s, which boasts a well-formed BMX track.

[12] Now the only public transport is a morning and afternoon bus from Pukekohe on Thursdays.

[13] Sunset Beach at Port Waikato has been subject to significant coastal erosion.

In 2018, it was claimed that 30 m (98 ft) of land had been lost from the coast in the previous few years.

[14] In July 2024, a carpark above the beach was closed after 2 m (6 ft 7 in) of cliff edge was lost to erosion overnight.

[14] Statistics New Zealand describes Port Waikato as a rural settlement, which covers 3.78 km2 (1.46 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 600 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 159 people per km2.