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Introduction: Heading south from Auckland, the vista opens before you when you reach the summit of the Bombay Hills. Cruising down the southern slopes of the Hills, the Waikato region stretches ahead as far as the eye can see, while away to the left the peaty expanses of the Hauraki Plains form a stark contrast to the craggy hills of the Coromandel Ranges beyond. The Peninsula stretches roughly north-south, embracing the eastern side of the Firth of Thames, a shallow, inter-tidal paradise for wading birds. On the western coast of the Peninsula, the Pacific Coast Highway passes through the historic towns of Thames and Coromandel on its way north, hugging the rocky, pohutukawa-fringed coastline for much of the way, then climbing rapidly to give jaw-dropping views over the northern extremes of the Peninsula and the Hauraki Gulf. The eastern coast delights in its necklace of pristine sandy beaches, which draw crowds from Auckland every weekend during the summer, intent on enjoying this slice of paradise on their doorstep. The main township on the east coast, Whitianga, is the closest big town to beautiful Cathedral Cove and the dig-your-own spa at Hot Water Beach, while further south surfers gather at Whangamata and Waihi Beach. Separating the two coasts, the craggy, bush-clad Coromandel Ranges rise like a knobbly spine, hiding the secrets of their past gold-mining and kauri-logging days beyond their sheer bluffs and deep wooded valleys. The Ranges form part of the Coromandel Forest Park, which runs from Mt Moehau on the Peninsula’s northern tip, to the Karangahake Gorge in the south.
Mercury Bay, Whitianga
Where to go in
The Coromandel:
Whitianga
Hahei & Hot Water Beach
Where to go Next:
Auckland
Bay of Islands
Mt Maunganui
Whakatane
Rotorua
Waitomo Caves
Taupo