The Coromandel Peninsula on the north island of New Zealand is one of the country’s great holiday destinations, perhaps better appreciated and more frequently visited by the country’s own inhabitants than overseas tourists. The peninsula has splendid scenery, charming small towns, a variety of beaches catering for those who surf and those who prefer gentle swimming, and accommodation ranging from hotels to basic but well-kept camping sites.
We could have been in England: the countryside was the same lush green, clouds hovered, and there was the threat of rain. We were in a small heritage town named Thames, after the English river. Thames had a gold mining boom in the late 1800s and with a population of more than 18,000 and 100 hotels catering for thirsty miners, was once the biggest centre in New Zealand
But the boom was relatively short-lived. It was tough to extract the metal from quartz rock, and there were no rich veins. Where once there was round-the-clock noise, with hundreds of stampers pounding away shattering the rock, there is now quiet. The treasure lies in a quality lifestyle, tourist attractions, and the glowing crimson of the pohutukawa trees.
Thames is the gateway to the Coromandel Peninsula, often overlooked by foreigners who tend to head for the Bay of Islands on North Island and to the glaciers,mountains and admittedly spectacular scenery characteristic of South Island. The name Coromandel has its roots in the Indian coastline but is also the name of a British Royal Navy sailing ship that collected logs of the kauri tree that grows straight and knot-free in local forests, ideal for masts and building work.
It was our third visit to the peninsula, which is just over two hours by car from Auckland and a favourite getaway for the city’s inhabitants. We have learned, like them, to love the charm of the place.
After a tea break at a Thames shopping mall – appropriately named Goldfields – we took the coastal road, which hugs the edge of the peninsula for 55 entrancing kilometres. The road more than lives up to publicity claims that describe it as one of the world’s great coastal drives and we followed it to the artistic town of Coromandel.
This is another former gold mining centre that enthusiastically retains the charm of another era. There are small craft shops, cosy cafés and a pub that boasts an Internet room bearing evidence of its past as
a telegraph office link to the rest of the world.
We were on our way to Matarangi on the east coast of the peninsula; a one-shop town with a long, flat, beach with safe swimming where it is almost mandatory to throw off clothes, shoes, and daily cares and flop around in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, getting the sand between your toes. We always leave our shoes on the open veranda outside our holiday home overnight, knowing they will still be there in the morning. There is plenty to ponder during a ritual run or walk to the deserted Whangapou harbour at the end of the beach; there are only birds to see and apart from the odd island, there is nothing between you and the Americas...
The drive across the rugged, mountainous spine of the peninsula, with its highest peak the 892-metre Mount Moehau, is not to be taken casually. The climb seems as endless as the many twists in the road, evoking memories of the demanding passes of the Western Cape in South Africa. If the weather is good, take time to stop and admire the views across the Firth to Auckland.
And on the descent on the eastern side, there are splendid vistas of bays and the Mercury Islands lying mistily and mystically offshore. We were lucky once to see a raptor pounce on prey in the quieter road sections.
The Coromandel offers a pleasant holiday destination with all the normal delights of the sea such as swimming, surfing, boating, kayaking and fishing; and just wandering along uncrowded beaches and sun bathing. There are other pursuits that might appeal to the more vigorous as well as the not so energetic, all of which emphasize the innovative nature of many New Zealanders who make the best of a land not overly endowed with mineral or other natural resources.
There is a butterfly garden, horse riding, a mountain railway well worth a trip, gold panning (though do not expect more than a rich memory) and big wacky toys that are powered by water to get your adrenaline rushing. You can taste and buy wine made from many fruits (some in luring combination), collect mussels or dive for scallops and crayfish. The Coromandel Walkway in the far, undeveloped north of the peninsula is nearly 11km of magnificent countryside and shimmering bays.
For those who like to holiday the tough way, there are many excellent and safe backpack routes. Wandering off the designated trail is not recommended as this used to be mining country and there may be shafts concealed by bush.
When all the activity gets a bit too much, or the weather is wet, there is the small town of Whitianga, itself a holiday resort on the shores of Mercury Bay. It is an ideal place to replenish supplies, select some holiday reading from an excellent book shop, and relax with a cup of flat white or latte (New Zealanders tend to take their coffee seriously).
You cannot go to the Coromandel without visiting Hot Water Beach, near Whitianga. Here you are encouraged to take a thermal bath in your own natural dig on a small section of the sandy beach for a period on either side of low tide. During the summer, a local shop hires out spades for the special privilege of choosing your spot with the right water temperature (it can get up to 65C) in order to soak out the stiffness of what may have been an energetic holiday.
It is a unique, natural, hot and cold water experience that will appeal to everyone: warm bliss just metres and seconds away from the cool but refreshing Pacific Ocean. There are some places in the world that keep calling you back. The Coromandel with its special appeal and ambience is one of them.
Copyright Glyn Williams, published by permission: this article first appeared in Diversions, a magazine for the medical profession published in South Africa
