Coromandel recap

The Coromandel Peninsula has always fascinated me. It’s one of a handful of locations in New Zealand that are largely undeveloped and sparsely inhabited. It’s right up there with places like the southwest corner of the South Island, or the southeast corner of the North Island. These remote and mysterious places simply appeal to my curious nature.

The Coromandel is particularly fascinating. It’s close to large population centres, housing a fair percentage of New Zealand’s entire population. This includes Auckland to the west and Tauranga to the southeast. Yet, its rugged nature means that much of the peninsula is relatively isolated, and the interior and northern tip are both largely undeveloped and sparsely inhabited. 

A town like Colville is figuratively and literally “the end of the road”. That’s why it’s on my bucket list, alongside Port Jackson, which we aren’t visiting this trip. Sadly, our motorhome’s insurance won’t cover us if we venture beyond Colville. I understand why. A few kilometres out of town, the road transforms into a rugged and winding single-lane gravel road. Amenities are few and far between, if they exist at all.

Yesterday we drove back down the coast from Colville to Coromandel township. Along the way, we stopped for a ride on the Driving Creek Railway. It's a popular tourist destination. I booked our tickets weeks earlier. I’m glad I did, as there wasn’t a spare seat on the train. The round trip along three kilometres of narrow-gauge track took about an hour to complete.

This miniature railway is one man’s labour of love. It was constructed over several decades by a local potter called Barry Brickell. Initially, he built it to get quality potting clay from a hillside pit to his studio. Over time, the switchback track was extended up the hillside, across several gullies and through tunnels before reaching a hilltop bluff where a sturdy lookout tower offers a stunning view over Coromandel and the surrounding harbour.

We drove out to Wyuna Bay for lunch before returning to Coromandel for a walk around town. Wyuna looked spectacular on the map. Sadly, there were no places to park along the narrow saddle road that offered clifftop views of the Hauraki Gulf, and it was low tide at our lunch spot, so we ate looking at mudflats.

Coromandel township was a rather quaint - and a heck of a lot quieter than the day before. On our way to Colville, we passed through Coromandel in the throes of its annual Keltic Fair. I read later that this one-day event attracts more than 15,000 people. I wouldn't fancy our chances of finding parking for two motorhomes!

We then continued down the coast to our next free-camping site at Kereta Bay. We stopped to check out the scenery at Te Kouma (see above), and again at the Manaia Road Saddle Lookout (see below). Much to my delight, the lookout gave a superb view of our campsite at Kereta.

Te Kouma was an interesting stop. We parked on Sugarloaf Wharf and went for a walk along the headlands. Its sheltered harbour is a prominent area for green-lipped mussel farming. A string of shellfish rafts and a fleet of oddly shaped barges spanned the bay. Apparently, the mussel farms are popular fishing spots. They're targeted frequently for species like snapper.

Our campsite was managed by a local farmer. It was a surprisingly busy little spot offering more Instagram-worthy coastal scenery. Access was via a well-maintained gravel road that followed a steep ridgeline down to the coast.  I was a little nervous about getting our motorhome back out. However, several motorhomes were already at the campsite, including families who'd stayed there before.  I decided that if they're OK, then so are we.  

Our cocktail hour was briefly interrupted by a few local visitors, that is, the farmer’s sheep and his daughter’s horse. The horse seemed particularly fearless. The farmer’s wife got wind of our unscheduled visitors. She came down from the homestead and quickly sent them on their way. Another relaxing end to another day filled with the Coromandel's scenic beauty.

Follow this link for more about the final day of our road trip.