"Coromandel - A peninsula to see" Top 5 Page for this destination Coromandel by iandsmith

Coromandel Travel Guide: 165 reviews and 512 photos

Waiau Falls, a forgotten attraction - Coromandel

On the road less travelled

I couldn't work out whether to put Cathedral Cove or the view at Tairua here. In the end I obviously did neither and opted for the rare instead. This is one of my favourite shots and is of an obscure place called Waiau Falls, located on the shortest route from Tairua to Coromandel. It also happens to be narrow and dirt which explains why few tourists bother. Yet, if the weather is good it will certainly cut time off your trip.

On the "must-do" list

The best walk I did on all the North Island was undoubtedly the one to Cathedral Cove. This would be in any "top three" things to do for Coromandel. Don't miss it.

Atop the hill

Paku Hill viewpoint, and this is just a bit of it

If there's one view I'll never forget on the North Island, it's the one from the top of Paku Hill. I could have spent hours up there. I say "could have" because the weather was just as determined to stop me but I did manage a half hour there on the first afternoon before it all turned crap.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Very scenic, very lush, very pretty
Cons:Narrow winding roads
In a nutshell:Lived up to expectations - recommended

Last visit to Coromandel: Aug 2007
Intro Written Sep 3, 2007
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Reviews (16)

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Comments (6)

KimberlyAnn Oct 17, 2008 at 9:49 AM Report Abuse

What a fun tip on the railway! I just loved Cathedral Cove. This area looks exactly like the kind of place I love to explore. And wow! The views from Puka Hill. As always your Off the Beaten Path tips are excellent. Great photos! What a lovely place.
cnango Feb 19, 2008 at 8:03 AM Report Abuse

Hi Ian, You did a gr8 job here. Well written tips & gorgeous pics. I love Cormandel & this page brought back some good memories as well as introduced me to some things we missed. Thanks for sharing.
JLBG Nov 15, 2007 at 9:37 PM Report Abuse

Wow ! What an amazing place ! You have built out of it an outstanding page with fabulous pictures ! Great ! I knew the name Coromandel but would have been unable to spot it on a map !
Nemorino Sep 26, 2007 at 3:18 AM Report Abuse

Great story of the narrow-gauge railway. No wonder this place is so popular!
Darby2 Sep 18, 2007 at 6:31 PM Report Abuse

I'm hoping to visit NZ in a year or so. Great stuff.
nickandchris Sep 7, 2007 at 1:24 AM Report Abuse

Of all the places I've visited on VT this has to be no. 1. Absolutely beautiful with fantastic tips. Maybe one day we'll see this. Thanks.