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Coromandel Road Trip

Reliving a childhood road trip, we find that the Coromandel’s got a lot more to offer than first meets the eye…

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Coromandel Road Trip When we were growing up, the post-Christmas drive down to Coromandel in Dad’s ’72 Chrysler Valiant marked the real beginning of summer. Three kids and the dog in the vast back seat, the metallic whump of the boot slamming over a small car’s worth of chilly bins, fishing gear, scratchy polystyrene surfboards, towels, and if we were heading up to camp at Waikawau Bay, the bulky old canvas tent. Then with the throaty roar of the engine, we were off!

Just over the Bombay Hills, Mum would inevitably fret about some essential item we’d forgotten, whether the house was locked up, or if we were staying at a bach, whether we’d find the key waiting for us. Long before cellphones, it was too late to find out. Dad would drive on regardless, and any worries had been forgotten by the time we got to the narrow old Kopu bridge – the unofficial gateway to the Coromandel Peninsula.

After that, the drive got interesting. The winding roads always made one of us squiffy, so the stunning scenery was something I never appreciated until much later. Us kids only looked forward to two things: hot fish and chips eaten straight off the newspaper at a wooden roadside picnic table, then the thrill of arrival at the beach or bach where we would spend the next couple of weeks’ glorious holiday.

While the roads have got better (and lets be honest, the cars a lot more comfortable), the Coromandel is still like that for visitors - a magical place to head off to for a relaxing break. With its rugged hills and convoluted coastline, the peninsula is endowed with astonishing natural beauty. Round every corner there’s another sandy bay to explore, or spectacular view to savour. It’s still possible to hire a bach, or camp, but accommodation options now feature classic Kiwi homestays and luxury lodges fitted out in exclusive contemporary design.

Coromandel’s natural environment combined with its long history of Maori traditions, kauri timber milling and gold mining inspire a wealth of creativity among the locals. In every township and up every valley there are talented artists, ceramicists, sculptors, designers and all sorts of other clever bastards creating beautiful and innovative products. Once again we’ve hit the road over to the Coromandel to find out what it has to offer. Travelling the length of the Peninsula, we’ve brought the best of what we found back for you to discover... meet Stuart Fyfe who has since signed up as a CleverBastard, and watch this space for more to come.

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