We stayed 2 nights in Whitianga for holidays and really enjoyed the place and town (slice slice baby is great if you like pizza).
our host advised us to take a ferry to go check Shakespeare cliff and lonely bay, and I'm glad we did: this was awesome.
We had a rental so we could easily drive around, but the town center was walkable as well as the closest beach. Our hosts were adorable people and really helpful. We loved our stay!