Coromandel Coastal Walkway | Northen Coromandel

About

Your journey on the Coromandel Coastal Walkway begins from the moment you start driving on the gravel road north of Colville.  You can take the 20km eastern route via Port Charles to commence the walk at Stoney Bay, or the 30km western route hugging the coast north through Fantail Bay and Port Jackson, arriving at the walk’s other access point at Fletchers Bay. Don’t be fooled by the distance; allow just over an hour to get to either destination.  If you prefer not to drive the remote unsealed roads of the Northern Coromandel, a guided tour is an excellent option, offering transport and collection from either access point.

The Coromandel Coastal Walkway borders the northern Coromandel coastline between Stony and Fletcher Bays, following an old bridle path formed by early pioneers.  It is a 10km (one way) hike that encapsulates the best scenery The Coromandel has to offer.  It offers plenty of variety as it winds through regenerative native forest, farmland and rocky shoreline.  It offers stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, Mt Moehau, Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island) to the north and Cuvier Island (Repanga Island) to the east.  The majority of the walk follows a gentle gradient, however there is a steep valley to conquer enroute to Poley Bay.  Arrival at Poley Bay is an ideal spot for lunch and a rest, however submerged rocks make it unsafe for swimming.

For a circuitous route, the Coastal Walkway can be linked with the Coromandel Mountain Bike Track, however this 8km track is steep, slippery and technically challenging.  

There are Department of Conservation campgrounds at both Fletcher Bay and Stony Bay.  Camping overnight will allow plenty of time to complete the 7 hour return hike without first having undertaken a lengthy drive to the walk’s entry point.  Alternatively, the walk can be done in 3.5 hours from point to point if you arrange transport pick-up at the other end.

An 8km mountain bike trail utilises part of the Coastal Walkway, but is only suitable for advanced riders as the track is a steep traverse, often slippery and challenging.

Dogs are not permitted on the Coastal Walkway.