A beachside holiday ended in pain for one child after spilling a cup of hot tea down his body.

The five-year-old was flown to Middlemore Hospital with serious burns after the mishap at the beachside town of Whiritoa on Tuesday.

He was with family holidaying at the inlet near Whangamata when he managed to spill the scolding hot drink down his front, says Intensive Care Paramedic Russell Clarke.

Russell it was on a table when the boy picked it up.

"He had serious burns from a hot cup of tea down the front of his body."

His mother rushed him to a shower where she doused him in cold water.

"It was quite uncomfortable for him but the best thing you can do for a burn is cool it for 20 minutes.

"The local ambulance service did a really good job of stabilising him."

The Auckland Westpac Rescue helicopter was called to pick up the boy at 4.15pm.

They landed at the dedicated helicopter pad in Whiritoa and flew the boy, accompanied by his grandfather, to Middlemore Hospital.

There he was met by his father - a doctor at the hospital.

"He was in a stable condition."

Russell says anyone who suffered a burn to cool it immediately for at least 20 minutes and call medical help.

- Stuff/Phillipa Yalden