Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Far North Coromandel
Supremely isolated and gobsmackingly beautiful, the rugged tip of the Coromandel Penin-
sula is well worth the effort required to reach it. The best time to visit is summer, when
the gravel roads are dry, the pohutukawa trees are in their crimson glory and camping's an
option (there isn't much accommodation up here).
The 1260-hectare
Colville Farm
( 07-866 6820;
www.colvillefarmholidays.co.nz
; 2140 Colville Rd;
campsites/units from $12/75, dm/s/d $25/38/76; )
has accommodation including bare-basics
bush lodges and self-contained houses. Guests can try their hands at farm work (including
milking) or go on horse treks ($40 to $150, one to five hours).
The nearby
Mahamudra Centre
( 07-866 6851;
www.mahamudra.org.nz
; campsite/dm/s/tw $15/28/45/70)
is a serene Tibetan Buddhist retreat with a stupa, a meditation hall and regular meditation
courses. The simple accommodation is in a parklike setting.
Another kilometre on is the tiny settlement of
Colville
(25km north of Coromandel
Town). It's a remote rural community by a muddy bay and a magnet for alternative life-
stylers. There's not much here except for the
Green Snapper Cafe
( 07-866 6697;
www.greensnapper.co.nz
;
2312 Colville Rd; mains $13-22; 8am-3pm daily, 6-10pm Fri)
, which does great
wood-fired pizza on Friday nights, and the quaint
Colville General Store
( 07-866 6805; Colville
Rd; 8.30am-5pm)
, selling everything from organic food to petrol (warning: this is your last
option for either).
Three kilometres north of Colville the sealed road turns to gravel and splits to straddle
each side of the peninsula. Following the west coast, ancient pohutukawa spread overhead
as you pass turquoise waters and stony beaches. The small DOC-run
Fantail Bay campsite
(adult/child $9.20/2)
, 23km north of Colville, has running water and a couple of long-drop toi-
lets under the shade of puriri trees. Another 7km brings you to the
Port Jackson campsite
(adult/
child $9.20/2)
, a larger DOC site right on the beach.
There's a spectacular lookout about 4km further on, where a metal dish identifies the
various islands on the horizon. Great Barrier Island is only 20km away, looking every part
the extension of the Coromandel Peninsula that it once was.
The road stops at
Fletcher Bay
- a magical land's end. Although it's only 37km from
Colville, allow an hour for the drive. There's another
DOC campsite
(adult/child $10/5)
here, as
four rooms with four bunks in each. Bring sheets and food.
