Along with the beautiful coastline, much of the Coromandel Peninsula’s interior is made up of the Coromandel Forest Park with gorges, woodland and rainforest clad mountains. Here are some of the activities we experienced here:
Cathedral Cove (and adjacent coastline)
From the north end of Hahei Beach, there is a one hour walking track that scales the cliff top and then descends to the Cove. Here a gigantic arched cavern can be found made of white sandstone rock joining two secluded coves. It is one of the most picturesque spots in the Coromandel with its white sandy beaches either side and its cathedral like feel, and can be walked to or ‘boated’ to. We did both to get the full experience.
Coromandel Coastal Walkway
Voted as one of the best coastal walks in New Zealand, the3.5 hour track one way takes in the full beauty of the upper Coromandel peninsula. From Stoney Bay to Fletcher Bay, or in reverse, the walk cannot fail to impress. We had a taster of this by walking 1hr 15mins in from the Stony Bayside to a viewpoint and could tell from that, that the whole walk would be worth doing.
Driving Creek Railway
This cute tourist attraction takes you on a Railway journey up through a narrow gorge and a native Kauri Forest to a lookout which gives views all along the coast and out to the islands. On a clear day you can see all the way to Auckland city. The unique attraction tells the story of the man who originally built the railway to bring clay to the potteries and wood to the kilns that he had built up over 60 years. Many of his and other artists clay treasures and art work can be seen throughout the ride. We had a rare wet day here but we stayed dry and it was thoroughly enjoyable anyway.
Karangahake Gorge
The breathtaking Karangahake Gorge created by the Ohinemuri River offers many walks and cycle tracks following the old Railway line through old mining tunnels.
CHECK OUT OUR HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR COROMANDEL ADVENTURES IN THE VIDEO BELOW!
