The cool waters of the Pacific Ocean roll
onto a stretch of sandy beach on the Coromandel Peninsula to the
east of Auckland, New Zealand.
About halfway
along the strand, a group of people are digging holes in the sand
at the low-tide mark. On closer inspection, adults and children are
wallowing in hot water pools, the ocean waves breaking only a
couple of paces away.
This is Hot Water
Beach, a favorite of vacationers. Unlike the beaches in many other
parts of New Zealand, the sand is white.
The Coromandel
Peninsula is a finger in the ocean between Auckland and the Bay of
Plenty. It is less than two hours of easy driving from
Auckland.
Down the center
of the peninsula is a jagged-edged, bush-covered mountain range,
while around the coastline are many sandy beaches and harbors. The
history of the peninsula is evident in mining relics, logging dams
and old Maori sites.
Coromandel
Peninsula begins at the tiny village of Kopu, from where you can
circle in either direction via Highway 25, which goes around the
peninsula to Coromandel, Whitianga, Tairua and down the coast to
Waihi Beach and beyond.
The main town of
Thames is only a few miles north on a road that clings to the
coastline as far along as the township of Coromandel. Thames is a
rather sleepy town, but in the late 1800s it was the center of
gold-mining activity. It was then the largest town in New Zealand,
with more than 100 hotels. A visit to the stamper battery and the
Mineralogical Museum is recommended.
Coromandel (the town and the
peninsula) was named after the ship Coromandel, which came to the
sheltered harbor in 1820 to pick up a load of wood from the kauri
trees that still grow in pockets nearby.
The road
continues north 20 miles to Colville, but if you want to explore
the rugged tip of the peninsula, you need a four-wheel-drive
vehicle.
In the early
1970s, potter and railway enthusiast Barry Brickell envisaged a
narrow-gauge railway reaching up into the thickly wooded hills
above Coromandel. More than 20 years later, this engineering feat
came to fruition, and a ride on the Driving Creek Railway is a
highlight of any visit to the peninsula.
The train runs
twice daily, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. It rises 400 feet along nearly
two miles of track, with loops, switchbacks and viaducts --
including one amazing, two-level construction that passes over a
deep gully before reaching its terminus high on a ridge. From
there, you can see the township and coastline.
From Coromandel,
you can follow Route 25, with its coastal views, or the shorter,
unsealed road across the peninsula through forested country before
reaching Whitianga. Waiau Falls, a walk in the groves of kauri or a
brisk climb to the top of Castle Rock make the latter route an
interesting alternative.
Whitianga on
Mercury Bay is home to a number of excellent beaches, but is better
known as a base for game-fishing: tuna, marlin and mako. The
Polynesian explorer Kupe landed in the vicinity in 950, when the
first Polynesians arrived on New Zealand, so the Whitianga area has
a long history.
Driving south,
you pass through lush, dairy farmland, backed by the rugged hills
that form the backbone of the peninsula. Side roads lead you to the
coast, to Cathedral Cove and to Hot Water Beach.
The Coromandel
Peninsula is worth visiting any time of the year, but Hot Water
Beach is even more special in winter. (Winter in New Zealand is
June through August. Winter temperatures in Coromandel range from
30 to 50 degrees; from December to February, 65 to 85
degrees.)
The Coromandel
Peninsula can be visited in one day, but it makes your visit
rushed. Take two or three days to unwind and then continue your
travels refreshed and relaxed.
Although many
attractions can be explored on your own, a greater appreciation of
the region is obtained by joining a guiding company, such as
Johansen Guiding Adventures. For information about Johansen Guiding
Adventures, call (011) 64-7 864-8731.
There is
accommodation available to suit all budgets. The most famous (and
expensive) place on the peninsula is Mercure Grand Puka Park Resort
at Pauanui. For rates, visit www.accorhotels.co.nz/hotdeals. The direct number for
the hotel is (011) 64-7 864-8088. Web: www.pukapark.co.nz.
For information
on New Zealand, call the New Zealand Tourist Board at (800)
388-5494, or visit www.newzealand.com/travel.
To contact
the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to[email protected].