Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Plenty Places

Whitianga

As you descend from the hills on the Coromandel's east coast, you'll come to the long stretch of Buffalo Beach, named for the British ship that used to ferry convicts from the United Kingdom to Australia before stopping in Coromandel town en route back to the United Kingdom to load up on Kauri building supplies. It ran ashore and sank in 1840, and it still lies buried in the sandy bottom of the bay.

The beachfront is lined with motels and hostels, all within walking distance of the ferry to Flaxmill Bay and the shops of Whitianga, the main township on this side of the peninsula. Most people use the town as a base for fishing or boating trips, and others stock up for camping at nearby beaches. Over summer it hosts some great rock music and jazz shows, and people use it as a base for the region's gorgeous beaches.

The Whitianga Information Centre can help you choose an excursion.

If you're driving between Whitianga and Coromandel and the sun is shining, make some time to head north towards Whangapoua. Park your car and grab your bathing suit and a surfboard if you're keen, and make the 30-minute trek over to New Chums beach, a native forest-fringed bay of golden sand. It's accessible only by foot, and you have to wade through an estuary to get there, but the secluded beach—rated by the U.K. Observer as one of the world's top 20 beaches—is well worth the walk.