Coromandel - New Zealand's Hidden Gem

From Auckland the Coromandel Peninsula may look like a distant island across the Hauriki Gulf, but for many this hidden gem is the jewel in the crown in their travels around New Zealand. As holidaymakers John and Patricia Lloyd commented: "We have been to New Zealand twice - and we think the Coromandel is really beautiful - even better than the Bay of Islands which seems to be favoured by so many people."

 

Less than two hours drive from Auckland takes you to the base of the Coromandel Peninsula and it is fair to say that you can't help but be stunned by the craggy volcanic range that lies in front of you. The tall pinnacles eroded away over the last 30 million years, surrounded by swirling mists in the thick native rain forest, are reminiscent of the primeval era in which they were created. 

 

Meanwhile, just as the gold in the Coromandel hills attracted miners from around the world in the 1800s the Coromandel's pristine golden beaches and 400 kms of clear water coastline now attract visitors to this remote beautiful peninsular. The Coromandel enjoys a vibrant arts community and the laid-back life style has attracted many craftspeople that draw inspiration from its idyllic setting with its virtually untouched and wild terrain.

 

There are numerous restaurants where you can sit and watch the world go by - an ideal pastime for many people. And because the Coromandel is located on the drier east coast of New Zealand, this means that the more active will be able to enjoy the numerous outdoor activities available without worrying about the 'liquid sunshine' that can sometimes take you by surprise on the western coast of New Zealand!

 

The historic town Thames, which is the largest town on the peninsular, is also the gateway to the Coromandel. In its heyday it was mining capital of the region, and the Historical Museum and Thames School of Mines Museum will give you a real insight into the gold rush days. It was also built on the pioneering industry of kauri logging. The whole area is steeped in history so if this is your bag then make sure you allow plenty of time there. If you are there on a Saturday it is worth a visit to Thames Market. Thames is also a great place to pick up supplies if you are on a touring holiday.

 

North of Thames a drive up the West coast will take you to Coromandel Town (colloquially known as Coromandel township). Chris Johnson, who was brought up in the Coromandel, always made sure he drove along this route in December. As he says: "This is when the Pohutakawi bushes are in full flower, and with their bright red blossoms it is easy to understand why the locals call this plant the New Zealand Christmas tree. This can be one of the most amazing sights that you will experience in New Zealand. From the air the Pohutakawi appear to be a long red carpet between the road and the water's edge - an incredible spectacle."

 

Whilst Coromandel Town is primarily known for its numerous arts galleries and colonial-style architecture there are a number of attractions here to enjoy. Just three miles north of the town is the man-made Driving Creek Railway. This narrow gauge railway, which was originally built by a local potter in order to access the fine clay deposits at the head of Driving Creek, now provides visitors with comfortable open-sided rides through replanted native kauri trees. There are also working potteries on the site.  

 

A quirkier attraction, very popular with the kids (and with grown ups who want to be kids) is the Waiau Waterworks, just 15 minutes drive from Coromandel Town. Created by a local engineer who had a fascination for hydraulics, Waiau Waterworks features whimsical contraptions and interactive playthings, all worked by water.

 

Colville, just north of Coromandel Town, is the start of the unsurfaced roads that used to cover all of the peninsular. It is worth noting that rental vehicles are not permitted north of Colville, although there are plenty of tours available to take you to the tip of the Coromandel if you wish.

 

Most people will turn east here towards the east coast of the peninsula, passing through Kuatonu before heading south to Whitianga. The largest town on the east coast of the peninsula, it overlooks Mercury Bay, so named by Captain Cook in 1769 when he anchored here to observe the transit of mercury across the sun. A sleepy fishing village for many years, the town has grown substantially since the 1980s and now boasts a brand new marina and waterfront bars, pubs and cafes. A local passenger ferry will take you across the short but extremely fast flowing estuary mouth and if you walk for an hour you will reach Shakespeare's Head, which overlooks the golden sandy beaches of Cook's Beach and Front Beach. A short walk from this lookout will lead you down to Lonely Bay - a beautiful secluded beach nestled within the headland (no road access). If all this walking sounds too tiring then you can take a 40 minute drive to Shakespeare's Head around the river south of Whitianga.

 

Whitianga was the main port during the huge kauri-logging days in the 1880s, when the Coromandel's magnificent kauri forests were decimated by the insatiable appetite of the European naval powers to provide masts and spars made from these tall straight trees. 30 million feet of timber was exported and the off cuts from the timber mills were burnt night and day on a large bonfire during the logging heydays, acting as a guide for the ships coming in to the bay. New Zealand's native forests are now almost totally protected by law but it will be many generations before these magnificent trees once again regain their former glory. It's worth taking a diversion onto the 309 road on the way south to visit the 309 Kauri grove - the finest on the peninsula.

 

Chris Johnson, who spent his formative years living in the Coromandel, says: "We would sometimes stumble across pieces of this history in the most unlikely places. You would come across steam traction engines tens of kilometres into the native forests - or the remains of wooden kauri dams - both used for the huge logging industry that dominated the late 1800s. To this day walkers can still find these if they know where to look. Although old gold mines were also easy to come across, I was never foolish enough to try my hand as a gold miner as this hidden treasure is quartz-based. The huge stamper batteries used to crush the quartz to remove the gold have rusted solid over the past 100 years rendering them useless as anything but a historical time piece - but fascinating to come across!"

 

Back on the road again, if you follow the river round from Whitianga to the opposite side of Mercury Bay you will reach the tiny seaside village of Hahei - a favourite holiday spot for Aucklanders. From Hahei you are within easy striking distance of Cathedral Cove. This is one of Chris Johnson’s favourite places. Describing it, he says: "Its magnificent cathedral archway through the headland and its white sandy beaches overlooking small islands is one of the most beautiful vistas you will encounter in New Zealand.   Couples wanting to get married in this natural cathedral can arrive by boat, with a number of local companies happy to provide all of the services required to transport the happy couple and their guests to this amazing spot." 

 

He continues: "The ocean immediately adjacent to Hahei and Cathedral Cove is one of New Zealand's newest marine reserves with complete protection for marine life within its boundaries. The sea life has flourished without the pressures from local fishermen - although many recreational fishermen take advantage of the fish population's inability to recognise the boundaries of the reserve by anchoring just outside!"

 

Cathedral Cove is second only to Hot Water Beach for the title of Coromandel's most well known attractions. Chris says: "This was a favourite weekend haunt for my family, especially in the summer months when we would make sure we arrived two hours before low tide. In season we always picked up cobs of corn from a roadside stall in order to bury them in the hot thermal sands that were exposed twice a day at low tide. Whilst my family and I would dig our own little hot spring along with many other locals and visitors, our corn would be cooking merrily away in the hottest parts of the spring, which we were happy to dig up a couple of hours later before the tide came in to enjoy our ready salted corn on the cob."

 

Driving south from Hot Water Beach will take you Tairua. Its large shallow harbour is overlooked by Paku Hill, and its peak has a very nice summit walk with amazing views over Tairua, Pauanui and beyond to the Alderman Islands. Heading south once again the turn off to Pauanui is within a 15 minute drive. The resort of Pauanui is also a favourite holiday haunt for Aucklanders, many of whom have 'baches' - the colloquial term used by North Island New Zealanders for their holiday homes. (New Zealanders in the South Island call these “cribs”).

 

The second largest town on the Coromandel's east coast is Whangamata -one hour drive south of Tairua. A paradise for surfers, it tends to attract a young crowd in the summer months for this reason, especially when the surf is up.

 

The gold mining town of Waihi at the base of the peninsular has New Zealand's largest open cast gold mine known as Martha Hill. You look down into the mine at the trucks which were the height of three people - and they looked like ants!"

 

For those wanting to head back to Auckland, the Karangihake Gorge is a spectacular, if not a little daunting drive along a narrow windy road. The gorge has a complex system of walkways for all levels of fitness - or alternatively it is well worth stopping at the car park at the start of the walkways and enjoying a nice, not too strenuous walk along the river!

 

From here you are not far Paeroa - the antique hub of the Southern Coramandel and home to 'Lemon and Paeroa' - New Zealand's most popular soft drink.   By now you will be almost back to Thames, and the start of your tour of the Coramandel - but this time you will be carrying with you memories that will be equally as precious to you as the gem that you will have discovered!

 

On their last visit to New Zealand John and Patricia Lloyd went on a self-drive holiday but this time they went on New Zealand Travel Specialist Kirra Holidays' Ultimate tour, when they visited the Coramandel for the second time. As Patricia says: "We saw it from a different perspective as we went on the famous 'Kiwi Dundee' adventure tour. Our guide was really informative and knowledgeable and gave us lots of information that you can't find in the guidebooks. We started out on a visit to Cathedral Cove, which is beautiful, and then we went to Hot Water Beach. We had been there on our last visit but hadn't timed it right, as you have to watch for the tides, but this time round we really enjoyed it."

 

"After that we had a picnic on Cook Beach, and whilst we were there we were shown samples of rocks which contained gold, opals, silver and crystals - but I noticed that once they had done the rounds our guide made sure that he got them all back! After lunch we went for a short walk in the bush and were told how the gold miners used to live and how difficult life had been for them. It was then on to Puketui, a gold-mining town, where we visited a gold mine - and saw hundreds of glowworms! It was a spectacular day out and well worth the money."

 

Sleep:    For the budget conscious traveller, Top Ten Whangamata would be one to consider. The holiday park is located for all of the major activities on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula. Offering tent sites, powered sites

 

Eat:          Nothing beats Fish and Chips on the beach! Try The Blue Fish in Port

 

Do:          Soaking up the natural beauty of the Coromandel costs nothing. Visit Hot Water Beach at 2 hours either side of low tide. Look for a spot in the middle of the beach opposite the tiny rock sticking out of the surf. Dig a hole and sink yourself into warm sandy thermal bath.   Cathedral Cove is only 5 minutes north of Hot Water Beach from here a 40 minute walk will reward you with views of gorgeous azure water and a secluded beach surrounded by a marine reserved established in 1992.

 

 

 

Sleep:     Pacific Harbour Lodge is a unique resort style lodge with self-catering studio, one and two bedroom bures located right on the waters edge in the heart of Tairua. Enjoy the on-site restaurant and convenience of shops only a few minutes walk away.

 

Eat:         Cactus Jack’s Family Restaurant. The only beachfront café at Waihi Beach. Experience great food, personal service and the vibes of the beachfront. You can take along your own wine or beer. 

 

Do:          Kiwi Dundee Adventures. Doug and Jan guide small groups on a personalised tour of the Coromandel. Experience the stunning coastal scenery and white sand beaches, explore old historic gold caves complete with glowworms and listen as Doug and Jan make the history come to life. This truly is an authentic Kiwi adventure!

 

Sleep:    The Grand Mecure Puka Park Resort . This luxurious secluded hideaway features 48 chalets set in 10 hectares of native forest, and sun decks with views over the harbour and Pacific Ocean. Facilities include tennis courts and a swimming pool whilst the nearby beach has 3km of golden sand and surf to explore.

 

Eat:         The Ohinemuri Estate is housed in the original stables in an intimate and relaxing atmosphere. The food is predominantly Mediterranean influence with a strong New Zealand slant. Advance bookings required.

 

Do:          Serene Peaks Beauty & Body Studio will treat you to both Natural Beauty and Body Treatments that will relax you and provide healthy and noticeable results. Each of their face or body treatments start with a soothing foot spa followed by a specialised facial or body treatments, all aiming to achieve a natural balance of body, mind and spirit.

 

Pure Luxury Accommodation: Waterford Landing, Pauanui or Collieth Lodge, Tairua

 

For further information go to the regional tourist board website www.thecoromandel.com or talk to your local Kirra Holidays office.

 

Bookings for the above can be made with your local Kirra Holidays office or online at www.kirratours.com