Coromandel Peninsula

The Silver Fern (or Ponga in Maori) - symbol of New Zealand

Tairua

Spent 5 days on the Coromandel Peninsula (the little town of Tairua) from Nov. 30 until Dec. 5. Another extremely pretty place. Lots of terrific scenery combined with a couple of challenging bush walks. Our rental place was elevated with a panoramic view of the Tairua estuary - gorgeous views, especially in the late afternoon.

The view from the back porch

One of the hikes took us thru the old gold mining area in Coromandel Forest Park. The walk wasn't that long, but there was a LOT of climbing and descending along old stone steps carved into the face of the mountain to provide secure footing for the pack horses and mules when the diggings were active around 1852. The return leg downhill took us along an old train line, some of the trestles still in place after nearly 150 years. We were both a little sore the next day.


One particularly scenic excursion took us to the ferry landing near Whitianga - another of the old gold mining towns that now makes its living off of tourists thanks to its history and scenery. Coromandel is only about 2 hours from Auckland and so is a popular weekend retreat for families. We caught a ride on the ferry, which lasted all of 90 seconds to get over to the town where we had lunch. Cost : $2 NZ, or about $1.10 US based on the current exchange rate.
One of the unusual attractions in the area is Hot Water Beach, where at low tide you can scoop out the sand and create your own little hot tub. Seems that there's a natural hot spring just below ground level there and you can adjust the temperature depending upon how deep you dig.

Ferry Landing at Whitianga

Next stop is Tongariro National Park, as we continue the trip down the coast towards Wellington.