Exploring the Coromandel Peninsula - Beaches and Coves

Made a friend at the airport in Auckland and we made plans to explore the Coromandel Peninsula over the past weekend. It’s an area about 2 hours east of Auckland with some stunning hikes and beaches. Over the course of 2 days we explored New Chums Beach, Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Beach and did the Pinnacle Hike. I keep hearing the South Island is much more scenic than the North Island of New Zealand but that’s almost hard for me to believe because I was blown away at the natural beauty I encountered this weekend.

Day 1 - Beaches and Coves:


We were planning on doing a hike on Saturday but it was raining so we decided to explore some beaches and other spots on the peninsula first. We drove through rolling hills and passed a lot of sheep

We headed to New Chums Beach, but went the wrong way and found a rugged beach/tidepool area

Exploring the volcanic tidepools

Colorful bird on the beach

Finally found the right way and after a ~45 minute hike we were rewarded with this view of the undeveloped beach

Down at the beach, it was completely empty the only footprints were the ones we left

Afterwards we drove out to Cathedral Cove, it was nice but it reminded me of beaches that we have in California

~30 minute walk down to the beach later, we arrived. This was probably why it's called Cathedral Cove, a good spot for an artsy photo I suppose, but not much more other than that

a r t s y. Me pondering life or something deep like that.... Nah in reality I was just uncomfortably looking into the distance posing, this is too out of character for me.


I explored these areas on the Coromandel Peninsula on September 22nd, 2018

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