Ōhope and Otarawairere beaches have been knocked from their perches in the annual Best Beach competition run by the New Zealand Herald.

After being named best family beach three years running, and best beach overall before the awards were split into five categories, Ōhope is now playing second fiddle to Northland beach, Waipu Cove.

Otarawairere Bay, which won best hidden gem beach last year, no longer features at all.

Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca was magnanimous about the results.

“In my heart, Ōhope will always be the best beach, but we’re always right up there so we should give someone else a turn,” he said.

“I’m sure we’ll get it back.”

The competition allows members of the public to nominate their favourite beach across five categories, best family, surf, camping, hidden gem and city beaches.

The top 10 nominated beaches are then put to a national vote. This summer Ōhope came second in the best family beach. It was also the second-best camping beach for the second year in a row.

Waipu Cove won first place in both categories. Raglan won best surf beach, Mount Maunganui best city beach and Whale Bay in Northland best hidden gem.