Weekend Road Trip:
Auckland to North Coromandel Togs on, toes out! If you’re after a barefoot adventure with more ocean dips than fish and chips (just!) make this your next road trip.
MAP LEGEND Road trip route Towns 1
State Highway symbol Road trip towns Road trip stops
• WHEN TO GO: Late spring/summer. • WHAT TO TAKE: Tent, camping gear, togs and sun cream.
Pack a handful of $1 coins for the showers.
• WHY? New Chum Beach: Voted in the top 20 in the world by seashore connoisseurs.
TOP TIp
BELOW: New Chum Beach, Coromandel © Getty Images
HIT THE ROAD
On the road by 3pm is ideal if you want to avoid the menace that is Auckland traffic on a Friday.
Friday 76
Approximately 90 minutes into your journey and just 10 minutes north of Thames, stop at Te Puru Store and Takeaway for fish and chips. Grab something deliciously deep fried. The store kisses the ocean front with various sandy spots to sling a picnic rug. Keep your eyes on high alert for basking seals and shorebirds.
We Love You New Zealand! Spring 2021
From Te Puru to Whangapoua, the road is as winding as it is spectacular. There are various lookout points as the road wiggles its way up and over the big hill before dropping into Whangapoua. Framed by a row of towering deciduous trees on a large paddock, Whangapoua Holiday Park is the closest campsite to New Chum Beach. There are tent sites as well as small cabins and shared facilities.
