Relax in a natural hot pool
You don't have to do anything to deserve it, in fact a daily dip in soothing natural waters might be your choice over cold water therapy any day. If Hot Water Beach feels a bit exposed in the cooler months, The Lost Spring is made for winter, as is Earth Energies Sanctuary.
If you choose your accommodation with an outdoor spa or hot tub you may add in the night sounds of ruru in the forest at Wairua Lodge or water lapping the sands below at Hahei Beach Resort Villas.
Indulge in some retail therapy
Anyone who has taken the time to browse the eclectic boutiques in our small welcoming towns will appreciate the enjoyment of discovering their well-curated selections. Online shopping misses this mark completely, although many of the stores have an online offering if you decide later on that you really did want another version in green or a gift for a friend.
Be inspired by creativity
To improve your frame of mind in shorter days, you might try looking at some art. Thanks to the surprising number of creative folk living and creating in The Coromandel, we have some outstanding gallery collections of local and New Zealand visual art.
Studies and research have proven that a trip to an art gallery or a museum can positively impact your health and well-being in several essential ways, like lowering anxiety and depression and boosting critical thinking skills. And that works by engaging with art whether as a creator or as a patron. And after seeing what has been created in the valleys and forests of our place, you may be inspired to make something yourself, or at least take home a memento of your visit.
Catch your dinner
The big schools of snapper may be further out in winter, but there will be pockets that continue to feed inshore and there are always moochers, as every local fisher knows. There's a good chance of snaring these fish on a winter's day, especially when you head out with a local expert. Snapper are always cruising around the mussel farms, so if a day out at sea or on the rocks in the salty air is not complete without fish for tea, Mussel Barge Snapper Safaris will deliver the prize.
Oysters are on the menu at this time of year, and the crew at Coromandel Oyster Company go to great effort to make sure you have the freshest seafood straight from the harbour to the roadside shack for you to enjoy right there, or take home. In addition, a smoked finfish from Coromandel Smoking Company or Blackbeards Smokehouse will take that chowder or pie to the next level, if it makes it to the kitchen, that is!
Cosy up in a cabin
After a day out in the fresh air, the comforts of a snug cabin beckon as the long nights unfold with cards and conversation. Kiwis love camping, and we have some great options for the cooler weather version where you don't need to erect a tent or bring your sleeping bag. Check out the beachside pods at Shelly Beach Top 10 or the seaview cabins at Tasman Holiday Parks, Waihi Beach.
