The Coromandel Peninsula is just a 1 to 2 hour drive from Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.
With a mountainous interior cloaked in native rainforest and more than 400 kilometres of dazzling white sand beaches, it is rustic, unspoiled and relaxed.
The Coromandel is the home of many artists and craftspeople.
There are many walking, tramping or hiking, camping, swimming and sightseeing opportunities in the area.
Historical treasure
Cathedral Cove, a recreation reserve near the town of Hahei, is accessed by foot, boat or kayak.
It is the jewel in the Coromandel’s crown and a historical taonga (treasure) to its local Maori guardians.
The track begins at the northern end of Hahei.
The Story of Cathedral Cove
Cathedral Cove is named after the amazing rock archway located on the beach in the Te Whanganui-A-Hei (The Big Bay of Hei) Marine Reserve.
The area receives around 200,000 visitors per year.
The Māori name for Cathedral Cove is Motauhi “a place to come and debate”.
The Ngāti Hei would gather on the Pā, an area above the Cathedral Archway, for topical debate.
The HMB Endeavour sailed into Te Whanganui-A-Hei on Friday, 3rd November 1769.
Upon seeing the archway Captain James Cook thought it looked like a Cathedral roof and so gave it its English name.
The Pinnacles Walk, located on the Coromandel Penninsula on New Zealand’s North Island, is another featured walk in this area.
The closest town is Thames with the walk start accessed down a gravel track.
Popular walk
The track follows an old packhorse route from the early 1920’s and offers spectacular 360 degree views of the Coromandel Penninsula.
The Kauaeranga valley, once filled with magnificent kauri trees, was extensively logged from the 1870s to the 1920s. Today only a few giant kauri remain.
It is one of New Zealand’s most popular overnight walks.
A visitor centre is located at Kauaeranga Valley on the way to the start.
This walk can be done in one day however it can also be done as an overnight staying at the Pinnacles Hut.
It is an approx three-hour walk to the Pinnacles Hut then a two-hour return trip to the Pinnacles from the hut. The hut is a modern eighty-bunk hut and must be booked in advance.
More information
https://www.newzealand.com/uk/coromandel/
https://www.thecoromandel.com/explore/kauaeranga-kauri-trail
https://www.sea.museum/explore/maritime-archaeology/deep-dive/finding-endeavour