The Coromandel Peninsula is one of New Zealand’s popular holiday and touring destinations. It offers 400 kilometres of picturesque coastline which is comprised of sandy beaches and sheltered bays that are backed by lush rainforest clad rugged hills, and is largely uninhabited except for a few small seaside towns and villages. Located on the central northern coast of New Zealand’s North Island, the Coromandel Peninsular extends for approximately 80 kilometres to the north and forms the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames, and shelters the city of Auckland. Rising to roughly 900 metres, the central Coromandel Range is formed of extinct and rugged volcanoes and is mostly covered by the sprawling Coromandel Forest Park which provides a magnificent backdrop to the coastal road that skirts most of the peninsula. Stretching from the northern Cape Colville and the rugged heights of Mount Moehau, which rises straight out of the sea, the peninsular runs southwards to the spectacular Karangahake Gorge.
This rural region is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby city of Auckland and remains a relaxing unspoilt refuge of spectacular landscapes. The peninsula can be explored by camping and tramping, or the pristine golden beaches can be enjoyed by just sunbaking, swimming, surfing or fishing, whatever takes your fancy, either way it is an ideal location for a simple, leisurely and relaxing beach-hopping holiday.
The main centre and gateway to the region lies at the small town of Thames. Established during the mid 1860’s, Thames was originally a large gold mining town and today offers easy road access to the peninsula and pedestrian access to the nearby Kauaeranga Valley and the Kauaeranga Kauri Trail which is one of the most popular tramping locations and leads to the jagged limestone outcrops known as the Pinnacles. Other walking highlights of the peninsula are the Mount Moehau summit of 892 metres, the Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway and the Coromandel Walkway between Stony Bay and Fletcher’s Bay in the northern reaches. If touring around the coastal road make sure to see the golden sands of Hahei Beach and the nearby Cathedral Cove, plus enjoy the hot thermal springs at the Hot Water Beach, while the town of Whitianga on Mercury Bay is well known for its yachting. For active pursuits why not try scuba diving at the Alderman Islands which lie off the east coast, or deep sea and game fishing out of Tairua.
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