Pacific Coast Highway road trip: Auckland to The Coromandel

Satisfying Hunua falls is a 30 metre waterfall is found on a short 800 metre walk through the attractive Hunua Ranges Regional Park.

Clevedon Farmers Market, a Sunday weekend regular event hosts boutique food producers and nearby horticulturists marketing unbelievably fresh produce and goods.

An Art and craft market occurs on the same day offering visitors a day market browsing in the cute rural village of Clevedon. The quintessential New Zealand village with a hearty dash of city vibe is a recommended stop. 

CHECK OUT HOTEL DEALS IN AUCKLAND NOW!

Get the camera out for the panoramic views of the Firth of Thames, sweeping grassed spaces for families, beaches with rock pools and safe swimming areas. Omana extends an invitation to simply relax. There are cool shaded bush walks which allow dogs on a lease to walk in prescribed areas.  The perimeter walk and farm walk are easy walking tracks.

tip icon

TIP

In the busy summer months there is a large car park which can rapidly reach capacity in the middle of the weekend.

A perfect family destination, Maraetai beachfront has a large grassed area great for big family picnics and a game of beachball. There is a wooden boardwalk with seating encouraging visitors to relax, rest and people watch. And a wharf where water bombing is a summer rite of passage.  

tip icon

TIP

WHERE TO EAT — Maraetai is a great lunchtime stop with parking for a motohouse and boardwalk to explore the beach. Beach Cafe Maraetai – Home offers classic kiwi lunch fare with an attached ice cream bar doing a roaring summer trade.

Find out more about sustainable farming on the “Duder Sustainable Trail  (4 km). The 1.5 hour walk is marked by yellow markers and is a fun and practical way to learn about sustainable farming, ” as described by the park brochure.

Flat intertidal zone with its dense shell beach is memorable. The Firth of Thames is an expanse of sand, sea, shells, water and sky with the seamless ribbon of flat expense before you. Look at the shades of white, cream with dashes of deep hues slashed with emerging water lights. And, the birds, thousands wheeling in the sky above, busy foraging on the shoreline.

Historic Kopu Bridge is a short detour as you enter the roundabout near the modern two lane Kopu Bridge.

Ponder how many boats, paddle steamers and sand barges have passed under the historic category one Kopu Bridge. The single lane bridge has an operational swing component allowing river traffic passage up river. 

Photo moment with the historic bridge faded glory creating a great backdrop… read more

The town is part and parcel of the history of nineteenth century gold mining and timber (Kauri) logging. Due to a decline in gold mining and cessation of timber production the town’s nineteenth century buildings have withstood wholesale destruction. The town’s urban landscape is the story of New Zealand’s urban development with all the layers clearly visible.