Coromandel’s too darn cool
On my last trip to Coromandel Peninsula, I did everything I tend to avoid on holidays these days. I stayed in a place with a shared kitchen and bathroom, eschewed exploring unfamiliar territory for hitting up the main tourist spots, and ate out at places that looked popular without checking their star rating on Google Maps.
It was a last-minute weekender, so I booked the last place on Airbnb I could afford (a room said to be attached to a basic outdoor kitchen and shower), in a tiny community I had never heard of not far from Tairua, and set off without a plan.
Some might find that liberating, but I am usually so careful about ensuring I don’t waste a minute when I am away that I plan for every last one of them. I tend to see a lot, but typically return home exhausted.
Climbing to the top of Mt Paku (more molehill than mountain really, and ridiculously rewarding given the lack of effort required), I saw why Tairua and neighbouring Pauanui are such a hit with holidaymakers.
Tiny figures cruised around the Fiji-blue harbour on kayaks and Stand Up Paddleboards, surfers performed aqua acrobatics off the white sands of Pauanui Beach, and sweaty molehill climbers like myself looked down on a scene of summertime bliss.
Arriving at the Airbnb, which was down a long, windy road that turned to gravel in the foothills of Coromandel Forest Park, I was pleasantly surprised by its retreat-like vibe. Though I was less so to find the outdoor kitchen and shower hadn’t seen a cleaning product in quite some time.
But the amiable owner, who I soon discovered was managing the place on his own after the death of his wife, offered me use of his kitchen and bathroom, and invited me to join him and his friends for dinner.
It turned out to be an entertaining evening, and the rest of the weekend followed suit. I followed the well-trodden track to Cathedral Cove, discovering two new attractions en route. There is secluded, white cliff-backed Stingray Bay (most walkers don’t bother to take the turnoff) and the lookout, which is well worth the extra 30-minute walk for its magnetic views of the famous cove and nearby islands. I swam and snoozed at heaving but heavenly Hahei Beach, was happily bowled over by the big waves at Tairua Beach, and tucked into generous helpings of ika mata and teriyaki miso eggplant at Flock Kitchen & Bar on Tairua’s main drag.
On my last evening, I made a detour to a beach near the Airbnb I had never heard of before – mysterious-sounding Sailors Grave. Named after the lonely final resting place of a young sailor said to have drowned in the surf in 1842, it has an almost spiritual feel, accentuated by its seclusion and surfeit of seaspray.
A short walk around the headland led me to Otara Bay, a bush-backed stretch of sand, pounded by irresistibly warm surf. I shared it with just two others, and they were so enamoured with each other I could probably have got away with an unseen skinny dip if I was so inclined.
This issue is a celebration of everything we love about Coromandel, from hidden hinterland gems and littleknown islands with outstanding diving to favourite holiday haunts.