Residents in the small town of Waihau Bay - the setting for the hit New Zealand movie Boy - have begun finding oil clumps, oil-covered logs and other debris on the coast.
Greenpeace said oil had also been found near the 375-resident town of Te Kaha, while a container had reportedly washed up in Te Araroa, at the northeast end of the East Cape.
Waihau Bay resident Ashley Procter said children from her town had gone down to help clean up the oil spill.
She said it was sad to see oil on the beautiful beach.
Volunteers at the Waihau Bay Fire Station were coordinating the clean up effort.
The identities of the captain and navigational officer of the stricken ship responsible for the country's largest environmental maritime disaster will remain secret after a lengthy legal wrangle in court today.
Name suppression remains in place for the 44-year-old Filipino captain and his 37-year-old navigation officer, both Filipino men, who appeared before Judge Robert Wolff in Tauranga District Court today.
A lawyer representing Herald publishers APN along with Fairfax, TVNZ and MediaWorks argued media should be able to publish the names and pictures of the pair, citing several cases.
But the captain's lawyer, Paul Mabey QC, argued if his client could not move safely, "there's a problem for him and for us".
"I'm simply asking that the orders continue until such time that the heat goes out of this and then we can review them, but now is the wrong time sir."
Judge Wolff allowed the orders to continue, saying their identities being published would only "underline the risk".
Their appearance came amid protest action against deep sea oil drilling around the city, where about 150 people marched down Tauranga's main street holding placards and chanting.
Both defendents were already facing charges under section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act which relates to operating a vessel causing unnecessary danger or risk to a person or property.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of $10,000, or a maximum term of imprisonment of 12 months.
Their appearance again drew a strong media presence, with about a dozen reporters, photographers and cameramen packed into the courthouse.
Both men have been ordered to surrender his passport and not to apply for any travel documents.
They will reappear in the court on November 2.
The Rena disaster has helped boost interest in a court case against an Opotiki boat skipper facing charges over protest action against oil giant Petrobas.
Elvis Heremaia Teddy's appearance today has coincided with the second appearance in court of the captain of the Rena.
About 30 protesters carrying placards reading "Kill the Drill" and "No Drill No Spill" gathered outside Tauranga District Court this morning to support him.
Teddy (44), as captain of Te Whanau a Apanui iwi-owned vessel San Pietro was arrested on April 23 amid protests against Petrobas on the East Cape.
He allegedly breached section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act, namely that he operated the vessel in a manner which caused unnecessary risk to the oil-drilling survey ship Orient Explorer by breaching the exclusion zone around it.
He appears on the same day as the captain and navigational officer of the stricken Rena, which has caused New Zealand's largest maritime environmental disaster off the Tauranga coast.
Among those outside the court were Greenpeace respresentatives and Mana Party leader Hone Horawira, who told the protesters of the two captains in court today: "They should give one a gold medal and hang the other bugger."
Many shouted cries of support at the comment.
But, minutes later, he described the Rena's captain as "just a working boy" working for multinational companies.
Mr Harawira believed the Rena disaster was just a taste of what could happen if the Government allowed Petrobas to drill oil.
In court, Teddy's status hearing was adjourned until December 8 after his lawyer Glenn Dixon requested more time to read through a "significant amount" of documents.
Afterward, Teddy said the support shown was "awesome".
"Now that we've got oil down on our beaches, it's quite ironic.
"It's brought it to the fore and hopefully that will change a few peoples' minds here in Tauranga."
Several photographers and cameramen greeted him as he walked out of the courthouse amid chants and applause.
