* * * * * * * * * * * Whitianga * * * * * * * * * * *

Campgrounds:

• Harbourside Holiday Park 135 Albert Street Whitianga 07 866 5746
• Whitianga Holiday Park 6 Bongard Road Whitianga 07 866 5834
• Mercury Bay Motor Camp 121 Albert Street Whitianga 07 866 5579

Activities:

• Surf cast off the beach (we hire surfcasting fishing kits for $20) or fish off the wharf.
• Collect Pipis, (a shellfish common in NZ waters).  Ask us where to find them & we’ll give you some recipe ideas.
• Eat fresh fish & chips on the beach for dinner
• Take the passenger ferry from Whitianga Wharf over the river to Front Beach where you’ll find good shell collecting & a rope swing at the west end for the kids to play on, as well as rocks to climb & explore
• Buy fresh fish off the wharf if you have no luck catching any; look out for the vessel Hika usually docked around 4pm.  Ph Judy 027 2824636
• Visit Whitianga museum, then take the ferry & walk to Whitianga Rock & Back Bay to appreciate what you’ve just learnt
• If you’re aged over 10 years, try your hand at bone carving
• Take the kids and: hire a quad bicycle for a family tour around town, play mini golf, head to the bike park & walk up to the newly discovered kauri grove, see the animals at Whiti Farm Park or Millcreek Bird Park.  Climb the ropes at High Zone, play paintball or ride a quad bike at Combat Zone.
• Then, get a bird’s eye view of this beautiful area with Coromandel Helicopters.
• Adults can enjoy The Lost Spring on Cook Drive
• Visit the Whitianga i-SITE information centre for more activities and ideas.
• See our local festivals & events.

* * * * * * * * * * * South of Whitianga* * * * * * * * * * *

Campgrounds:

• Hahei Holiday Resort Harsant Avenue Hahei 07 866 3889
• Cooks Beach Breakaway Camping & Cabins
  corner Purangi & Rees Ave Cooks Beach,
  07 866 5469 (open Dec to Feb)
• Flaxmill Bay Hideaway 1031 Purangi Road Cooks Beach 07 866 2386
• Seabreeze Tourist Park 1043 Taiura Whitianga Road
  Whenuakite 07 866 3050
• Mill Creek Bird Park 365 Mill Creek Road Kaimarama 07 866 0166
• Hot Water Beach Holiday Park
  790 Hot Water Beach Road Hot Water Beach
  0800 246823
• Riverglen Holiday Camp Tapu Coroglen Road Coroglen 07 866 3130

Activities:

• At low tide, dig yourself a hot pool at Hot Water Beach. 
• Take a picnic & walk down to Cathedral Cove, the most famous beach on the Peninsula.
• Follow the Department Of Conservation snorkel trail at Gemstone Bay, located in the Te Whanganui-A-Hei marine reserve.
• Walk up the Te Pare Historic Reserve at the eastern end of Hahei beach and enjoy the views
• Take in the scenery from the top of Shakespeare Cliff, Cooks Beach
• Board a marine reserve charter, go diving, hire a kayak & see the sea caves, play golf or visit the Purangi Winery

* * * North of Whitianga & on to Coromandel * * *

Campgrounds:

• Kuaotunu Motor Camp 33 Bluff Road Kuaotunu 07 866 5628
• Whangapoua Camping Ground Whangapoua 07 866 0008
• Long Bay Motor Camp 3200 Long Bay Road Coromandel 07 866 8720
• Coromandel Motels & Holiday Park 636 Rings Road Coromandel 07 866 8830
• Oamaru Bay 440 Colville Road Coromandel 07 866 8735
• Shelly Beach Top 10 Holiday Park 243 Colville Road Coromandel 07 866 8988
• Freedom camp at: Otama Beach or Tucks Bay Coromandel

Activities:

• Visit Opito Bay and take the Department Of Conservation walk over to Matapaua beach
• Play on the beautiful squeaky sand at Otama Beach
• Call in to Matarangi & surf cast off the beach
• Stop in at Whangapoua and walk to the beautiful hidden beach, New Chums.  You’ll need to cross the stream at low tide
• Head to Coromandel, stop at the smokehouse on the way into town for yummy smoked mussels (a local shellfish exported all over the world) or smoked fish. 
• At Long Bay Motor Camp, have a swim, walk to the kauris, or take the beach walk from Long Bay to Tucks Bay.
• Climb aboard a train at Driving Creek Railway, visit Mining museums, have fun at a local festival
• South of Coromandel, head back along the 309 Road to Whitianga. 
  Get wet and have heaps of fun at Waiau Waterworks.
• Take the short bush walk to see the magnificent Kauri trees at the 309 Kauri Grove as well as the Siamese Twin Kauri and have a dip in the refreshing pool under the Waiau Falls.
• Visit Tourism Coromandel  for activities throughout the region.

* * * * * * * * * * * The Remote North * * * * * * * * * * *

(Extreme care is needed as the unsealed, loose stone surfaced roads are steep, winding & narrow).  Check out the Safety tips for driving on unsealed roads.

Campgrounds:

• Papa Aroha Holiday Park Colville Road Papa Aroha 07 866 8818
• Colville Bay Motel & Motorcamp Wharf Road Colville 07 866 6814
• Otautu Bay Farm Motor Camp Port Jackson Road Colville 07 866 6801
• Freedom Camp at:   (all Department of Conservation campgrounds)
  Fantail Bay , Port Jackson, Fletcher’s Bay, Waikawau Bay

From Coromandel head north to the Colville.

The Colville Store is the last stop for fuel & supplies.  While there enjoy an ice-cream or a coffee at the cafe.
Continue north until you come to the T intersection. 
Option 1: Turn left to go to Fantail Bay, Port Jackson or Fletcher’s Bay. 
Option 2: Turn right to go to Waikawau Bay

 

Option 1 Activities:

• Fish off the Paritu Granite Wharf
• At Fantail Bay take the walk up behind the camping area for awesome views.
• Head on to Port Jackson and set up camp on this beautiful north facing beach.  Fish in the stream and watch the kahawai surf in on the waves here. 
• Travel on to Fletcher’s Bay.  View all the islands from the top look out point.  See if you can locate the plaque with all their names on it. 
• Walk the Coromandel Walkway to Stony Bay & back.  There are plenty of walks in these areas as well as gorgeous beaches to swim at, collect shells on & rock pools to explore.

DOC campground at Fletchers Bay

Option 2 Activities:

• There is a large campground at Waikawau Bay with a small store, an awesome beach & horse riding up the road.  Summer programmes are run from here by the Moehau Environment Group for all ages and focus on fun and learning in amazing surroundings from coast to steep forested hills. Twenty plus activities for all ages are run by experienced guides and volunteers & focus on native flora & fauna, conservation & has cool kids activities.  You will need to book though on www.meg.org.nz

REF: The Inch to Inch Guide to Coromandel Town & North by Randall Inch
         The Inch to Inch Guide to Whitianga Area by Randall Inch

A copy of the Visitors Guide to the Coromandel Peninsula Area by Randall Inch is available (on loan) in every vehicle.