The Coromandel is one of the most spectacular areas of New Zealand, not the easiest of places to get around if you are nervous of narrow gravel roads with steep drop offs straight into the sea but.....oh so worth it!
For this leg of our journey around New Zealand we based ourselves in Coromandel Town. It may seem like when heading here from Thames that you are leaving the fine trappings of normal towns behind you but Coromandel has all the facilities you could wish for and some fantastic cafe's.......as well as the best Kebab I've had anywhere in New Zealand :-)
The coast road from Thames to Coromandel gives you hints of what is to come and is one of the most stunning coastal roads I've been lucky enough to travel. However, it's when you get north of Coromandel towards Coalville and then up to Fantail Bay etc that the scenery just blows your mind. Taking the time, as I did on quite a few occasions, to stand either at the waters edge or up on a cliff watching the sun down silhouetting a myriad of islands out to sea simply fills you with an inner peace and joy which should be prescribed to everyone so that this world would have a lot more tolerance!
This area really does have it all with tourist attractions ranging from a hand built railway at Driving Creek to a glass bottom boat in Whitianga, the amount of fish in the sanctuary this visits by Cathedral Cove is mind boggling and looking through the bottom of a boat is quite surreal. If, on the other hand, you like to get your legs moving then there are well marked tracks all over the place that a quick visit to the DoC web pages will reveal. They range from short rambles through native bush to advanced day walks that will have you traversing streams, not always successfully!, and climbing to stunning views over the Coromandel Coastline.
We'd only intended to be in the area for a couple of weeks but have enjoyed it so much it became six......it really is that special. Enough of my rambling, here are a few images of our travels for you to enjoy :-)