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road
trip
A
rtist Charlotte Giblin again leads our trek around the Coromandel. Her
charming acrylic paintings and wistful musings that honour the peninsula
have adorned the first three of our Road Trip series. Follow her illustrations as
she guides you to and through Coromandel Town and the surrounding areas...
We left our last Road Trip heading west from Te Rerenga on SH25. Although
hilly and winding, it offers stops to take in views in all directions – back to
Matarangi and Whangapoua, west to Coromandel and distant islands, and the always
majestic Castle Rock to the south. Look north to see ghosts of historic gold mines and
kauri forests.
SH25 takes a sharp left near the peninsula’s west coast which leads you south to
Thames. To enjoy historical Coromandel Town, however, take a right on Tiki Road.
Within a few blocks, you are transported back in time, as building after building sports
that colonial NZ town look with square facades and large covered porches. At the end
of Tiki Road, the Star & Garter Hotel holds court (see the 3 on map).
Turn right on Kapanga to view the town ... or head north (inland) to see the gold
stamper, an intriguing railway, then north to the more remote regions of the northern
Coromandel: Kennedy Bay, Port Charles (on the east) and Colville north to Fletcher’s
Bay along the west coast.
Continuing the JOURNEY
Castle Rock from SH25C between Matarangi & Te Rerenga
1
When Pete and I set off for a day trip to Coromandel Town, the sky
was clear and bright blue in one direction, but threatened with dark clouds
in the other. I bundled my coat, hat and scarf into the car to guard against
the Winter wind that was billowing the
rain clouds toward us at a fast pace, and
we left Whitianga, knowing we would
have a great day whatever the weather
threw at us.
Leaving Matarangi behind on SH25 we
were approaching Te Rerenga when the
vista suddenly opened up on our left and
Castle Rock loomed up against the
skyline. We were able to pull over on
the s i d e o f t h e r o a d a n d ma r v e l a t t h e
r o l l i n g f i e l d s b e f o r e u s wh i c h
c u l m i n a t e d i n t h e c r a g g y n a t u r a l
f o r ma t i o n , wh i c h i s a n i mp r e s s i v e s i g h t
a n d wo r t h s t o p p i n g t o l o o k a t .
As we gazed across the landscape,
Castle Rock ‘transformed’ before us into
a face, which seems to stare up at the
sky, mouth agape. T his landmark is really
striking, even from such a distance, and
I made a mental note to walk nearer to
it, as soon as the weather improves!
THE VISTA DRIVE HEADING WEST
Kennedy
Bay
Te
Rerenga
Whangapoua
Harbour, Village
and Beach
Matarangi
McGregor
Bay
Long Bay
Kennedy Bay Rd.
Whanganui
Island
1
2
3
New Chum
Beach
Colville Rd.
To Colville
and points
north
Railway &
Gold Battery
Coromandel
Town
This Road Trip visits areas highlighted
in yellow: Coromandel Town areas and
the more remote northern peninsula.