Photo by Gail New
K
nown as ‘Gumtown’ in the early 1800’s, this pioneer town was
described as a ‘bustling village of timbermillers, bushmen, gumdiggers
and goldminers’, sporting hotels, blacksmith, saloon, and pack horses
which serviced the bush camps. Logs were floated down the river, and
the area was supplied regularly by a small steamer. It has been calculated
that if all of the kauri logs that have passed through Gumtown were
placed end to end they would stretch from Auckland to Invercargill.
Today Coroglen (officially changed to Coroglen in 1922) is the centre
of a farming community, and there is little to remind the traveller of the
township in it’s heyday. The carpark is often filled at the iconic tavern
(famous for live music), and the Sunday farmer’s market boasts the best
of the Coromandel’s home-grown produce.
SIDETRIP
via
TAPU-COROGLEN ROAD
For an adventurous side trip, take
the windy metal Tapu-Coroglen Road, which crosses Coromandel Range
to Tapu on the west coast of the peninsula. Here you can view the unique
Square Kauri tree and visit the 64-acre estate,
Rapaura Watergardens.
Highly recommended, it is located in the midst of the Coromandel Forest
Park. From Tapu, drive south on Hwy 25 to Thames or swing north to
round the top of the peninsula.
CoroGlen & its History
On the way to Whitianga
Animal encounters for the kids in all of us
W
hat to do with the kids? They want
hands on, and what better use of
hands than to stroke a donkey, feed
a lamb, or hold an amphibian! As you
approach Whitianga from the south, check
out
WhitiFarm Park,
winner of Ranker’s
2013 NZ Wide Farm Experiences. “What a
great place to be a kid for the day!” says
Publisher Tovi Daly (left), who couldn’t get
enough cuddles from this gorgeous bunny.
Pack a picnic, buy plenty of food and make
a day of it. Open every day.
Further north, head west on Mill Creek Road to visit the
Mill Creek Bird,
Reptile & Farm Park,
which offers encounters with farm animals and
more exotic species. They also offer kiddie train rides, playground, and a
camping park.
A ‘kid’ gets fed by another ‘kid’ at
WhitiFarm Park.
Another goes for the birds at Mill
Creek Bird, Reptile & Farm Park.
Ready for action? Bigger toys and thrills
Ropes course, paintball, fun park
T
ake the Kaimarama Road off SH25 east where
you will find a day’s worth of thrilling adventure.
You first come to
Highzone Adventures Ropes
Course
, where you’ll test your nerves on thrilling zips
through the air on several elevated challenges.
Further east is the
CombatZone Paintball and Fun
Park
offering a variety of paintball combat game
situations (all gear and training included), plus clay
bird shooting, archery (real bows and arrows), laser
tag, paintball target shooting, and other activities
like kiddies’ cart rides, playground, and even petting
animals. Active fun for the whole family.
Opening Hours: 7 days (Labour Weekend - Easter) 10am - 5.30pm
Winter: 5 days (closed Tues & Wed) 10am - 3 pm
07 866 3033 • 3/3 Grange Rd • Hahei • Whitianga 3591
COME IN AND BROWSE OUR EXTENSIVE GIFT RANGE
•
wall art
•
prints and cards by Rachel Olsen and Charlotte Giblin
•
•
gorgeous NZ made skincare
•
paua and silver jewellery
•
stunning hats for summer
•
•
toys for all ages
•
cards
•
gift wrapping
•
exclusive range by studio k
•
Our Deli provides our very popular Habitat condiments,
a collection of specialty foods and smallgoods and a selection of kitchenware.
3 Grange Rd., Hahei • Ph: 07 866 3016 •
Enjoy our simple, tasty food and great coffee – all served in a
relaxed atmosphere. Adjoining the park, we’re also on the
road to Cathedral Cove, a short drive from Hot Water Beach
and within a few minutes walk of Hahei Beach.
DINE IN OR TAKE SOMETHING AWAY • CATERING • LICENSED
The Coromandel
traveller will encounter
many narrow one lane
bridges, such as this
“One Lane Bridge on
Tapu-Coroglen Road”.
Painting by
Airdrie Hamilton
One Lane Bridges
Traffic from the direction of the RED Arrow gives way, however if you are
travelling from the direction of the BLACK arrow, proceed with Caution.
