The Coromandel

Part of the adventure of travel is not knowing exactly what a place will be like. You can always do the research, but in the end to really get a feel for a place you have to go there and walk down the streets. Sometimes you get lucky and find that perfect little out of the way town; other times it's just an over hyped tourist destination. With the Coromandel, it think we got lucky. Although I had some serious concerns while driving the hour and a half a twisting coastal roads up the peninsula (there is a passenger ferry from Auckland if you don't want to drive), it turned out to be our favorite destination of the trip.

It was what hadn't been able to find in Australia, a sleeply little holiday village with a dozen or so little hotels/B&Bs and about as many cafes and shops. Depending on which way we sat we could either have views of sailboats swinging on anchor in bright blue water of the bay or emerald hills rising up from the town. Mornings were filled with bushwalks and trips to the bakery while the afernoons we spent exploring the beaches around the peninsula or hanging out at the pool. Three days was not nearly long enough time!

Giant Kauri Trees

Beaches

Views of Coromandel Bay and Town