ROAD TRIP: A journey through Coromandel

Kaiaua to Ngātea to Thames via coastal & inland roads through Miranda & Kopu - 45min, 54.2km

Thames to Coromandel township via SH 25 - 1hr, 54km

SIDE TRIP: Coromandel to Port Jackson Take the coastal road - 1hr 22min, 55km

SIDE TRIP: Te Rerenga to New Chums Beach via a short trip off SH 25 - 12min, 8km

Coromandel to Whitianga via SH 25 through Kuaotunu - 45min, 42.6km

Camping on the Coromandel Coast © Destination Coromandel

The Firth of Thames is famous for its Shorebird Centre, just 75km from Auckland, so begin your adventure with a spot of bird watching, before relaxing in the steaming hot pools at Miranda. Enjoy a serving of fish and chips at Kaiaua Fisheries before heading for Thames, the perfect spot for stocking up on supplies.

Consider taking a 12km detour up the Kauaeranga Valley to indulge in some hiking.

Returning to the route, you’ll be hugging the coast most of the way from here on in. Windy narrow roads with pōhutukawa trees border one side of the road while beautiful blue sea dominates the other. Continue through to Coromandel Town with its cafés and craft emporiums, until you reach the glorious beaches and historical landmarks of Whitianga.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Pinnacles at sunset

Destination Coromandel

HISTORY

If history is of interest, visit the THAMES HISTORICAL MUSEUM which has exhibits looking at the first Māorito live here,through to the pioneer days and beyond.

GOLD MINING

Learn about the gold-rush days and even try gold panning at the SCHOOL OF MINES AND MINERALOGICAL MUSEUM or trawl through family history archives at THE TREASURY.

HAURAKI RAIL TRAIL

Thames is also one of the entry points for the popular 173km HAURAKI RAIL TRAIL cycle path, an easy ride for most capable cyclists.

WALKS AND HIKES

If two legs rather than wheels is more your style, perhaps the KAUAERANGA VALLEY (12km from Thames) is more your speed. Here hikers can trek to the famous PINNACLES HUT. There are numerous gentle bush walks to choose from in the area, too.

NIBBLING

Home to many excellent cafés, restaurants and produce stores, Thames is also a great spot to refuel and purchase provisions for the drive ahead.

Thames Historical Museum

Destination Coromandel

MIRANDA SHOREBIRD CENTRE

Birdwatchers from around the world flock to Miranda to fuel their passion for ornithology. The visitor centre is full of taxidermied birds, books and souvenirs, while out on the coast sharp-eyed twitchers might spy red knots, dotterels, wrybills, spoonbills, godwits, even sanderlings. Keep your binoculars and thermos handy.

KAIAUA

This seaside town has a safe swimming beach and famously generous ice creams for sale at The Pink Shop.

NGĀTEA

On the Hauraki Plains, this rural service town is a good place to stop for a break. The Ngātea Water Gardens are very amusing and the gem store is well worth visiting, too.

DRIVING CREEK RAILWAY

This narrow-gauge railway takes passengers on a one-hour journey though bush-clad landscapes, over bridges and through tunnels before stopping at the 163m-high Eyefull Tower. There are also eight thrilling ziplines that tickle the treetops, the longest being 200m in length.

THE 309 ROAD

Snaking between Whitianga and Coromandel Town. Stop at The Waterworks, a quirky theme park filled with water powered attractions including a wooden water clock, and water cannons.

KUAOTUNU

This is a pretty seaside settlement 18km north of Whitianga. The beach is safe for swimming and dressed in soft white sand. Better yet, dolphins like these waters, too.

TIME FOR THAMES

When Thames was first established in the 1870s, it quickly became a bustling hive of activity, and when gold mining was at its peak, the town was home to an estimated 113 pubs. Located just 90 minutes from Auckland, stop here for its three well-appointed museums, fetching historic buildings, a slick mix of cafés along Pollen Street and a spot of gold panning. Hike in The Kauaeranga Valley, a mere 13-minutes away, and for adventure, Sleeping God Canyon (15 minutes away) has canyoning.

Hammock, Thames Coast

Logan Dodds

In spite of all the milling and mining, the natural attractions in this neck of the woods have endured and there are many beautiful places to immerse yourself in nature.

Abseiling in Kauaeranga Valley

Destination Coromandel

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD

If not having to cook is one of the things you relish when you’re on holiday, you've come to the right place.

New Zealand fresh oysters

Getty Images

PEPPER TREE RESTAURANT & BAR, COROMANDEL - This restaurant serves up contemporary New Zealand cuisine in a historic homestead. In winter, sit beside the roaring open fire and over summer, the sun-soaked courtyard and shady veranda is the place to be.

KORU, RAPAURA WATERGARDENS, THAMES - Feast on Coromandel mussels, fresh Hauraki flounder and home baking in a lovely setting surrounded by native bush, birdlife and pretty water gardens.

COROMANDEL OYSTER COMPANY, COROMANDEL - Sample freshly harvested local oysters, scallops, mussel chowder and fish and chips at this oyster shack on the south side of Coromandel Town.

THAMES MARKET, GRAHAMSTOWN - The market explodes onto Grahamstown streets every Saturday morning.

THE CHEESE BARN, MATĀTOKI A cheese shop with its own country café serving delicious cheeseboards, pizza and pies.

WAIOMU BEACH CAFE, THAMES - Coastal setting with outdoor seats. It’s also super dog friendly; treat your pooch to a home-made dog biscuit.

COROMANDEL TOWN

This cool little town started life as a tough gold-rush settlement and the place has clung to its roots. It has beautifully restored Victorian buildings and an entrepreneurial and creative spirit evident in its art studios, crafts and galleries.

Coromandel Town

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As well as original paintings, ceramics and jewellery, you’ll be tempted by the local food. Some of New Zealand’s best mussels and oysters come from the water here; make sure you indulge.

Several delightful, safe-swimming bays and coves are easily accessible to Coromandel township. Long Bay is the closest beach; just 3km northwest, and Wyuna Bay isn’t much further. Sleepy and secluded, it’s a hidden gem.

FAMILY FUN

Try one of these when you need a break from the car and a good run around?

• Coromandel Zipline Tours

• Waterworks, Waiau

• Queen St Playground, Thames

• Fishing from the rocks

• Gold panning with Thames Goldmine Experience

• Driving Creek Railway, Coromandel

TOP WALKS

1. COROMANDEL COASTAL WALKWAY - Walk from Stony Bay to Fletcher Bay to enjoy untouched forest and bush, excellent birdlife and divine ocean views all the way out to Great Barrier Island. The neither go back the way you came, or hire a shuttle. 7km one way.

2. LONG BAY WALK - Start at the Long Bay Motor Camp,and follow the track to Tucks Bay before following the coast back to the motorcamp. This walk also includes some beautiful kauri trees. Takes about 50min.

3. KAURI BLOCK WALK - An excellent short walk that begins at 348 Wharf Rd. A circular route, it leads to a kauri grove, along a beach and beneath towering cliffs with a few hills along the way. Allow about 45min.

4. SUCCESS MINE TRACK - Start this route behind the hospital on the old Colville Rd and wind up into the hills behind Coromandel Town. Plan for about 2.5hr.

5. KAUAERANGA KAURI TRAIL (PINNACLES WALK) - This isn’t an easy walk as it has a lot of climbing,but the views from the top of those craggy rocks makes it worth the slog. Can be done as a day loop or with a night in the hut. Allow 8hr return.

Kauaeranga Kauri Trail (Pinnacles Walk)

Destination Coromandel

6. NEW CHUMS WALKWAY - Set off from Whangapoua Beach and walk the short stretch to Wainuiototo, also known as New Chums Beach. A pretty track to an even prettier beach. Takes a mere 30min.

Kauaeranga Kauri Trail (Pinnacles Walk)

Destination Coromandel

SIDE TRIP to PORT JACKSON

Zipline at Driving Creek

Coromandel Zipline Tours

The further north you head, the more rustic and unspoiled the landscape becomes. So pack the thermos, some fishing gear and your sense of adventure as you meander up to one of the northernmost parts of The Coromandel, Port Jackson. Its campground, run by the Department of Conservation, is a delightful spot and offers gas barbecues, basic amenities and a cluster of picnic tables painted with board games, including backgammon and checkers.

Port Jackson

Destination Coromandel

ARTS & CRAFTS

The stretch of road is bursting with art studios where talented craftspeople ply their trades.

• Copperworkx, Coromandel Town

• Bounty Store, Thames

• The Source, Coromandel Town

• Grahamstown Thames Market (Saturday mornings)

• Hauraki House Gallery, Coromandel Town

• Driving Creek, Coromandel

• The Backroom Gallery, Colville

WHITIANGA

A delightful seaside town with great beaches and a deep harbour, Whitianga is popular with sightseers and holidaymakers.

Whitianga

Destination Coromandel

ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS WHITIANGI-O-KUPE or Kupe’s Crossing Place after the intrepid explorer Kupe who first passed through these parts in about 950AD. When several of Kupe’s travelling companions chose to settle in the area, Whitianga became one of the longest permanently occupied regions of New Zealand.

Many years later, in 1769, another famous explorer sailed to the region. Captain James Cook was searching for a spot to observe the Transit of Mercury and he was not disappointed; Cooks Beach and Mercury Bay are both named for that astronomical occasion.

As the second largest town in the Coromandel, Whitianga is renowned for its annual SCALLOP FESTIVAL, held every September. Much-loved attractions such as Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach are also on the doorstep, as is fishing, sunbathing and The Lost Spring, a luxurious geothermal complex with mineral pools.

SIDE TRIP to NEW CHUMS BEACH

New Chums Beach

Destination Coromandel

This unspoilt paradise with its backdrop of native forest is permanently protected from development. Park your car at Whangapoua Beach and walk 30 minutes over a stream and rocky boulders via a delightful track that leads to New Chums Beach.

MAIN IMAGE AB0VE: Cycling the Hauraki Trail over a bridge near Waihi © Andy Belcher

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