The Coromandel

Need to know ...

With its unique blend of picturesque coastline, beaches, rainforest and seaside villages, The Coromandel is a special destination.

Main Centres

Thames – Pinnacles walk, Kauri and gold. Coromandel Town – harbour, galleries and cafés.
Whitianga – marine activities, fine dining.
Tairua / Pauanui – forest, fishing, diving.
Whangamata – surf resort. Waihi – Karangahake Gorge. Paeroa – antiques.

Getting There

By Air – an airline operates between Auckland and Whitianga, Matarangi and Pauanui.
By Road – 90 minutes from Auckland. 90 minutes from Rotorua or Tauranga. Coaches service the region.
By Ferry – service from Auckland to Coromandel.

Getting Around

This is a great region to explore by car. A ferry links Whitianga with Cooks Beach and Hahei.

Eating Out

Exclusive

Coast Restaurant & Bar (501 Port Rd, Whangamata, t +64 7 865 6899) – stylish décor and honest cuisine.
Omaras Restaurant (Matarangi Dr, Matarangi, t +64 7 866 5397) – lunch or à la carte evening dining.
Legends at Lakes Resort (Pauanui, t +64 7 864 9999).
Miha @ Puka Park Resort (Pauanui, t +64 7 864 8088).

Casual

Peppertree Restaurant & Bar (31 Kapanga Rd, Coromandel, t +64 7 866 8211) – breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Shells Restaurant (Main Rd, Tairua, t +64 7 864 8811) – seafood and game.
The Fire Place (9 The Esplanade, Whitianga, t +64 7 866 4828) – wood-fired pizzas.
Luna Café (1 Grange Rd, Hahei, t +64 7 866 3016) – home-cooked food.
L&P; Café & Bar (Cnr SH2 & Seymour St, Paeroa, t +64 7 862 7773).

Where to Drink

Stylish bar

Salt Bar Café Deck (1 Blacksmith Ln, Whitianga, t +64 7 866 5818).
Manaia Café & Bar (Main Rd, Tairua, t +64 7 864 9050).
Star & Garter Hotel (5 Kapanga Rd, Coromandel, t +64 7 866 8503).

Cosy pub

Royal Oak Hotel (772 Thames Coast Rd, Tapu, +64 7 868 4806).
Admirals Arms Hotel (146 Wharf Rd, Coromandel, t +64 7 866 8272).

Coffee fix

The Billy Goat Café (444 Pollen St, Thames, t +64 7 868 7384).
Colenso Country Café & Shop (Main Rd, Whenuakite, t +64 7 866 3725).

Something to Take Home

Wilderness Gems (13 River Rd, Ngatea, t +64 7 867 7417) – jade, bone and shell jewellery.

Sights

Climb the Kauaeranga Kauri Trail to the jagged summit of the Pinnacles. The last part is steep, but you’ll be rewarded with magnificent panoramic views of The Coromandel.

Beautiful Cathedral Cove with its Pohutukawa-fringed white sand beach.
Hundreds of migratory birds resting at the Firth of Thames. More than 100 species fly 10,000km from the Arctic to the Firth of Thames each spring, making just one stop in Asia, and fly north again in autumn.

The rugged rainforest of Karangahake Gorge – site of New Zealand’s first gold rush.

Action

Explore Te Whanganui A Hei Marine Reserve – follow the Snorkel Trail in Gem Stone Bay.
Climb the volcanic peak of Paku for superb views of the twin harbours: Tairua and Pauanui.

Relax

Dig your own hot pool in the sand when the tide is out at Hot Water Beach.
Visit an artist’s studio or gallery in a picturesque bush setting.

THE experience

Drive the Thames Coast Road north from Thames. In summer the route is lined with spectacular red-flowering Pohutukawa. Project Crimson is a charitable trust preserving New Zealand’s native Christmas trees – Rata and Pohutukawa. Since 1990, volunteers have planted hundreds of thousands.

Websites to check out

www.thecoromandel.com
Coromandel Travel Information