From Auckland, looking across the Thames Bay, you will see an impressive skyline of extinct volcanoes on the Coromandel Range. Get to know them in person, they are worth seeing. Lush temperate rainforests cover most of the peninsula with a golden thread of sandy beaches circling the peninsula. Coromandel Forest Park is only a 1.5-hour drive from New Zealand’s largest city, the Auckland City of Sails. Definitely a day trip or longer should be on the bucket list.
COROMANDEL FOREST PARK
- Kauri, forest giants that survived 19th century logging, can be found on Highway 309 (near the town of Coromandel) and the Manaia Sanctuary further south;
- The Coweranga Valley near the Thames with tram trails, gold mining relics and a vintage train;
- Hikers enjoy limestone outcrops, peaks, with accommodation in a forest lodge;
- Wentworth Falls (near Wangamati) is a magnificent waterfall located in the middle of the forest;
- Accessibility, the forest spans the coastline, allowing visitors the best of both worlds: the beach, the marine world and the world of lush, luxuriant green multi-layered forest;
- The limestone arches of Cathedral Cove are impossible to miss and a treasure trove is located on the edge of the park. The official name is Wanganui A Hay (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve;
- The Coromandel Forest Park is managed by the Department of Conservation, whose excellent online resource describes the main walks, how to get there, the best time to go, and the rules for camping in the park.
Enjoy the contrasting landscape between beaches, sloping farmland and primeval forest.