COROMANDEL & COLVILLE

Coromandel was visited in 1820 by HMS Coromandel which called into the harbour for kauri spars. The ship brought to the town and the peninsula its name, from the Madras coast of India.
In 1852 the discovery of gold at Driving Creek brought a boom to Coromandel town. Old buildings and artefacts are evidence of Coromandel’s golden history.
Walkways around the peninsula offer travellers opportunities to explore the beauty of the region. The Department of Conservation offers a range of brochures and maps for bush and scenic walks.
Coromandel offers a relaxed lifestyle and the area has attracted talented art and craft people.

The 309 Road
The Waiau Falls are 11kms east of Coromandel and just a five minute walk from the 309 Rd. One kilometre further east is the finest stand of kauri on the peninsula, easily accessible via a delightful 10 minute bush walk.
Also on The 309 Road is the Waiau Waterworks, a whimsical garden with water operated playthings. Swim and picnic. Open 9am - 5pm.

Adventure Tours & 8 Wheel ARGO
Explore the old mine roads and gold workings in the hills above Coromandel Town. Go places you wouldn’t want to walk. Bookings essential, phone 866 8658.

Castle Rock Winery & Cafè
SH 25 Te Rerenga. A boutique winery specialising in fruit and vegetable wines using as much locally grown produce as possible. Free tasting. Check for seasonal opening hours. Phone winery 866 4542 or cafè 866 4570.

Colville Town
In early days Colville was the centre of the kauri milling industry. Today it is a quiet town serving the arts and farming communities.

Coromandel Coastal Walkway Tour
A day trip to the Coromandel Walkway. Phone Coromandel Discovery 0-800-668 175

Coromandel Goldfields Centre & Stamper Battery
A 100 year old fully operational water powered plant for processing gold from rock. NZs biggest working water wheel. Check at the i-SITE for tour times.

Coromandel Golf Club
Hauraki Rd. Open for visitors. Phone 866 8539.

Coromandel Museum
History of the area, gold mining, kauri and farming. Summer hours, 10am - 1pm Monday to Friday, weekends 10am - 4pm, winter 1.30 - 4pm weekends.

Driving Creek Railroad & Potteries
Driving Creek Rd, 3kms north of Coromandel. A one hour round trip on NZ’s only narrow gauge mountain railway featuring superb views, magnificent engineering, unique art features and replanted native kauri forest. The new Eyeful Tower provides a panoramic view over Coromandel Town and Hauraki Gulf. Suitable for all ages.

Fishing & Scenic Charters
There is an abundance of fishing in the Hauraki Gulf, around the Coromandel islands and harbour. The needs of fisherpeople and tourists are well catered for by numerous charter vessels.

Horse Riding at White Star Station
Colville farm, Trips of 1, 1 ½ or 2 hours for learners to experienced riders plus three and five hours for experienced riders taking in the bush, beach and mountains. Phone 866 6820.

Waitati Gardens
485 Buffalo Rd. Florist and horticulture tutor’s garden. Many treasures, special plants and native birds. Open daily but closed during winter months. Entry fee. Phone 866 8659.

Waiau Waterworks
A large, peaceful garden/park filled with whimsical gadgets and interactive playthings all worked by water. Also Kay’s sculptures to see and buy. Covered picnic sites, swimming hole and playground for kids up to 80 years. Open 9am - 5pm winter and til dusk in summer. 4.9km up 309 Rd, phone 866 7191.

Whangapoua Beach
A holiday hideaway, boat ramp and general store. A 20 minute walk takes you to New Chums Beach.

PAUANUI & TAIRUA

Pauanui and Tairua are twin harbour towns situated on the Coromandel Peninsula’s east coast. Off shore lies the Slipper, Shoe and Alderman Islands.
Tairua is the older town, originally a milling and farming community.
Across the water is the holiday home town of Pauanui, a purpose built community that features NZ’s first canal housing development.
A number of charter and fishing boats operate from the Tairua and Pauanui wharves and a passenger ferry runs regularly between the towns.
Safe swimming and boating is available in the harbour with Tairua and Pauanui both having fine ocean beaches for surfing and swimming in most conditions. Children will enjoy fishing off the wharf.

Broken Hills
At the top of the Puketui Valley Rd, the Broken Hills area has gold mining relics, fishing, rock hounding and a variety of day walks.

Paku
A dramatic volcanic peak which dominates the harbour and can be climbed from Paku Dr, Tairua. A 15 minute walk takes you to the summit.

Pauanui Mountain Walking Track
A trek climbing steeply from the south end of Pauanui Beach to the top of Pauanui Mountain (400m) for fantastic panoramic views.

Slipper Island
Historic sites, scenic walks, safe snorkelling, diving and fishing, wreck exploration. Charter and fishing boats available from the wharf.

Sports Clubs
Both towns possess sports and community clubs, golf courses and a range of other facilities.

Tairua Harbour
The harbour entrance can be hazardous in certain conditions. Shore and cast fishing is available from both Pauanui and Tairua sides.

Tairua River
Excellent picnicking and fresh water swimming in the Puketui Valley or by the main Thames road.

THAMES & THAMES COAST

Known as the ‘gateway to the Coromandel’, Thames is the main shopping centre on the peninsula with a wealth of boutique style shops, historic main street and the modern Goldfields Shopping Centre. In the late 19th century Thames was one of NZ’s largest towns, built on the pioneering industries of gold and kauri logging. This colourful history is still alive in the pubs, buildings, museums and other activities.
Fringing the town is the Thames estuary and the volcanic hills of the Coromandel Range and Kauae-ranga Valley.

Butterfly & Orchid Garden
Victoria St. Tropical walk-through exotic garden with orchids, waterlilies and butterflies. Fully sheltered and heated. Wheelchair access. Closed from 20 July to end of August.

Gold Mine Tours
Cnr Moanataiari Creek Rd and SH 25. Guided tours both underground and through the stamper battery. Photo museum, gold panning and souvenirs.

Historic Musuem
Cnr of Pollen and Cochrane Sts. Excellent displays of gold rush days, mining, timber, kauri and farming. Open 1 - 4pm daily.

Karaka Bird Hide
Located by the Goldfields Shopping Centre in Brown St. Take the boardwalk through the mangroves to the hide where you can sit and watch birds in the Thames Firth.

Kauaeranga Valley
Lies in the hills just behind Thames and offers extensive walking tracks and camping opportunities as well as some of the more adventurous activities that the peninsula has to offer.

Matatoki Farm Cheese
12kms south of Thames on SH 26. Cheese factory on a working dairy farm. View the cheese production process and sample the award winning cheeses. Open daily 10am - 4.30pm. Closed Sundays from May - October.

Rapaura Watergardens
586 Tapu Coroglen Rd. Extensive watergarden featuring native and exotic plants surrounded by native forest park. Waterlilies feature Nov - Apr, rhododendrons and azaleas Aug - Nov. Craft shop and cafè. Open daily 9am - 5pm.

Rocky’s Goldmine Trail
Take Victoria St to Dickson Holiday Park where the tramp starts, 2½ - 3 hours through bush. Views of the Firth of Thames, regenerating native forest and swimming holes.

Thames Market
Grahamstown end of Pollen St every Saturday morning. A varied and interesting range of stalls featuring local crafts, produce, plants, collectables. Open 8am - 12 noon.

Totara Pa
Stronghold pa site for Ngati Maru tribe but defeated by Hongi Hika in 1821. Cemetery contains grave of Hotereni Taipari, who opened Thames up for mining.

War Memorial Monument
Overlooking Thames township. Take Waiotahi Creek Rd to the top (north end of town). Fantastic views.

WHANGAMATA

Whangamata is famous for its unique combination of beach and rainforest.
The ocean beach provides some of the best surfing breaks, yet safest swimming in NZ. Sea conditions suitable for all are available along its 4kms length or in the safe harbours that lie to the north and south. These lead out to a section of the Pacific Ocean popular for big game and recreational fishing.
The town has a unique café culture and a range of sporting facilities from golf to swimming. Also kayaking, tennis, squash, mini golf and surfing.

Art & Craft Trail
Gifted local artisans can be visited using a brochure available from the information centre.

Luck at Last Mine
A well formed signposted track in the Tairua Forest takes a scenic 1 hour walk to old gold mine ruins. An alternative track to Pritchards kauri, in virgin bush, lies 4kms further along Forestry Rd.

Onemana
Popular surfcasting beach. Drive or walk to the southern hilltop for spectacular views.

Opoutere
Popular for swimming and surfing, Opoutere’s spectacular 5kms white sand beach is protected from development by a forested reserve. Wharekawa Harbour is famed for bush walking and bird watching, including a colony of dotterels.

Tairua Forest
A large exotic pine forest operated by Rayonier NZ Ltd. The i-SITE Visitor Centre provides information and entry permits for bush walks, mountain bike trails and other activities.

Tuhua (Mayor) Island
Famous waters for big game fishing, 30kms off the Whangamata coast. Local charter boats run regular fishing trips to the area.

Wentworth Valley
One of the most popular walks through dense native bush, along a river to the Old Mines Walk (30 minutes), waterfall (2 hours) or Maratoto Walk (5 hours).

Whiritoa
The exposed beach is often rough but has a popular surf break while the lagoon provides safe swimming for children.

WHITIANGA & MERCURY BAY

Mercury Bay on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula offers a spectacular coastline flanked by islands.
The main town of Whitianga has been continuously occupied for more than a thousand years, since Maori explorer Kupe’s tribe settled there after his visit in about 950 AD.
The next famous visitor was Captain James Cook, who gave the area its name when he anchored in the bay in 1769 to observe the transit of Mercury.
Now a thriving town with more than 4,000 residents, Whitianga offers a full range of services and attractions.
There are fish to catch, shellfish to gather and the relatively sheltered waters of the bay are great for all water sports.
On land there are bush walks and horse treks over picturesque farmland. Also, check out local artists on Mercury Bay’s Craft Trail.

Buffalo Beach
HMS Buffalo was wrecked off Buffalo Beach while collecting kauri spars. Today the beach
offers safe swimming, good fishing and shellfish collecting. Further north is Wharekaho Beach where the area’s main Maori pa was situated.

Cooks Beach
A safe beach flanked by Shakespeare Cliff to the west and Purangi River to the east.

Hahei
This attractive beach is named after the Maori chief Hei. From the lookout there is access to Cathedral Cove where a large cavern passes through a headland and the whole atmosphere is reminiscent of a church.

Hot Water Beach
One of the region’s most fascinating places. For two hours either side of low tide under normal sea conditions, you can dig in the sand for hot spring water and make your own spa pool.

Kuaotunu
Once a thriving gold mining town, it offers several good beaches and fishing plus access via the famous Black Jack Rd to the picturesque white sand beaches of Otama and Opito.

Matarangi
4.5kms of beautiful beach and safe swimming. Amenities include a golf course and restaurant, tennis courts, boat ramp, airfield, dairy.

Mercury Bay Musuem
Located in the old dairy factory building opposite the wharf.

Whitianga Wharf
The central area for all boating and fishing activities. You can take the passenger ferry to Ferry Landing and walk to Flaxmill Bay.