Our first little road trip in New Zealand begins here, in this touristic and popular area, very appreciated by kiwis people. We will have the pleasure to discover this peninsula and its beautiful sceneries out of season, since we went there at the end of June. A choice that will prive us of swimming on these idyllic beaches but which allowed us, sometimes, to be totally isolated and to feel alone in the world.

Cathedral Cove – Hahei              

Our first stop will start at the inevitable Cathedral Cove, recognized by all users of Windows 10 as one of the most beautiful wallpapers, it is also the inescapable point of the region. A small walk that will take you to the cliff dug with its cave and its white sandy beach. A beautiful decor, not to be missed obviously, and where we can easily spend a few hours.

 Hot water beach – Hahei     

The most famous activity of Coromandel, which is also part of the indispensables, is to go on this beach known as “hot water“.

Do not forget to go there 2 hours before or after the low tide.

After paying parking fees, $ 4 (coins) $ 4.5 (credit card), and took possesion of a shovel (rentable on site), direction the beach. As soon as the heat is felt under your little relaxed toes, it is time to stop and dig your natural jacuzzi. Beware you have to dig on the right place, sometimes the water is scorching. We had to dig two pools to mix cold and hot and fall on the ideal temperature. But it was awesome !

Coromandel Town 

Of the same name as the peninsula, it is a pretty little town of colonial style. The place is lovely and must, probably, be crowded in summer thanks to the pretty bays that surround it. A small path leads to the top of a hill in 15 minutes and offers a superb view of the place. We enjoyed a wonderful sunset there. Apart from this, the city has, unfortunately, no great interest.

Colville

The coastal road that leads to Colville from Coromandel town is splendid, we made several stops to enjoy the views. We chose to stop in Colville for its low cost camping and to protect us from bad weather. It’s a village with a coffee shop and a general multi-services store, but nothing else. It is simply a stop on the road that leads to the northern tip of Coromandel.

A hamlet which represents the last possibility of refueling, to be avoided in view of the prices practiced.

Stony bay – Port Charles 

We chose to go to Stony Bay to take the start for the 6-hour hike to Fletcher Bay.

Many take the departure from Fletcher Bay directly, but we opted for Stony Bay to avoid unnecessary kilometers on the, sometimes damaged, gravel roads that lead to the northern tip.

We spent the night at Sandy Bay, without souls who live, and a storm raged all night. In the early morning, the road that leads to the start of the hike was unfortunately flooded, so not accessible. So we could not do the planned walk, with a bit of regret cause that seemed to be beautiful. In any case Stony bay is a very beautiful spot, even under the gray sky, this walk must certainly be worth it.

Along the way…    

On the way bringing us to the south of the peninsula towards the town of Coromandel, we chose to pass, this time, by the coast, to discover new landscapes. We made 3 stops: Waikawau, Tuateawa (our unexpected crush) and Kennedy Bay, which are very nice sites to schedule a small stop along the way and admire the scenery.

Whangapoua – New chums Beach        

A small hike a little bit difficult since it is necessary to take a path of slippery rocks to reach a hidden bay. So you have to take your time and stay focused on your feet, no need for an exceptional physical condition just put on good shoes, and frankly, it’s worth the detour. We had the chance to experience the wonderful “New Chums Beach” with no one. A huge white sandy beach, a wild bay, we enjoyed a good time contemplating this beautiful landscape.

For us this stop is unavoidable for the beauty of the place.

Otama Beach & Opito Bay       

Immense white sand beaches served by a gravel road. There is nothing to do except admire the view. At the tip of Opito Bay, it is possible to take a small path, the access is on the end of the beach. Short but steep, it leads to the summit of the tip in order to discover the bay as a whole. The landscape is lovely, as always.

Whitianga

A real town, quite extensive, with shops and everything you might need. The downtown area has nothing remarkable, but the marina with its small enclosed harbor is charming. It is possible to take a ferry to reach the other shore and take a walk along a small coastal path. With its long sandy beaches, there is no doubt that Whitianga must be a popular seaside resort. Close to all the remarkable sites of the peninsula, with many nautical activities and proximity services, this is an easy and convenient drop-off point.

Broken Hills  

To finish our loop around the peninsula, we wanted to test the “Pinnacles” hike. Unfortunately, the site is being reorganized due to severe weather damages therefore the access is closed until further notices.
So we headed to the little walk of broken hills. A little stiff, it has the particularity to take us to the top of the hill sometimes passing by the ways of old mines. It is thus possible to cross the mountain by a long tunnel of 500m, unlit, but relatively arranged, inhabited by glow-worms.

Claustrophobes abstain! This remains, nevertheless, an interesting sensory experience.

Waihi  

The city of Waihi is currently remarkable only thanks to the former gold and silver mine which contributed mostly to the growth and wealth of New Zealand. “Martha Mine” was indeed one of the most important precious metal mines of the world in the last century. It is therefore possible to visit the inside in exchange of several tens of dollars, or to borrow the free footpath to go around the mine’s crater and see some vestiges. This is the second option we have chosen. Along the way, small panels in the form of “questions / answers” allow you to learn more about the historical past and future of the mine, in a fun way.

Waihi Beach   

9 km of sandy beach, and one of the safest places for surfing. However, this is not what we kept in mind, since we preferred to take the path that runs along the coast to end in orakawa bay. A pleasant walk which leads to a paradisiacal beach that is comparable to New Chums Beach.
It takes only 45 minutes to reach this little preserved paradise which reveals a setting worthy of the most beautiful Hollywood movies.

Karangahake Gorge 

We finished our loop in the footsteps of the gold seekers through two strolls in the Karangahake gorges that took us back in time. At the base of the Coromandel peninsula, very close to Waihi, this ancient mining reveals, wagons, tunnels, rails and vestiges of another time. We felt like real explorers. We were conquered by this place of character that brung us in childhood adventures for a few hours. Do not hesitate to come and stop there if you have the opportunity, especially since the gorges are also very beautiful.

This gives you a good overview of our itinerary around the Coromandel Peninsula with our little van, and that may inspire you in your future planning. Open wide your eyes and elephant heart.