Coromandel Peninsula

The Coromandel Peninsula (Māori: Te Tara-o-te-Ika-a-Māui) on the North Island of New Zealand extends 85 kilometres (53 mi) north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier protecting the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west from the Pacific Ocean to the east.

Almost its entire population lives on the narrow coastal strips fronting the Hauraki Gulf and the Bay of Plenty.

[5] Owing to the nature of the land, much of the Coromandel's population clusters in a small number of towns and communities along the southeastern and southwestern coasts.

[Note 1] During the summer holiday period around Christmas and New Year, visiting families and travellers from around the North Island add significantly to activity in the area, particularly in Whangamatā, Whitianga, Matarangi, Tairua and Pauanui.

The 1970s saw thousands of hippies relocate from large cities around New Zealand to the Coromandel in search of an environmentally friendly lifestyle associated with the counterculture back-to-the-land movement.

Of the main population centres, only Coromandel, Colville, Matarangi and Whitianga lie in the north of the peninsula, and much of the inland parts remain virtually uninhabited.

[8][9] The area was once known largely for its hard-rock gold mining and kauri forestry industries, but is now a popular tourist destination.

[10] A forest park occupies much of the centre of the peninsula, and the coasts are dotted with numerous beaches and scenic views.

Cathedral Cove, named for its cathedral-like arch through the limestone cliff, is a popular destination, only accessible by boat or on foot.