The Coromandel Peninsula is located to the east of Auckland, across the Hauraki Gulf. It's a popular weekend destination with Aucklanders, for its rugged beauty and its proximity. We were naturally interested in seeing what all the fuss was about. The largest city in the Coromandel is Thames, located at the western base of the peninsula, and this was to be our first destination. From Rotorua we headed mostly north but a little east to get to the coastline. There was some rain on the way, and the countryside was very very green.

Countryside Med   Lrg

More Countryside Med   Lrg

Eventually we passed through a town with the unfortunate name of Te Puke, which actually means "the hill" in Maori. It also represents what you might do if you don’t like kiwifruit, as the town seems to be the world capital of this hairy brown delicacy.

The road reached the coast at Tauranga, which has an extensive harbor.

Tauranga Harbour Med   Lrg

Tauranga Harbour Med   Lrg

We continued north and a little west and hung a left at Waihi. This took us through the scenic Karangahake Gorge, eventually dropping us into the town of Paeroa, where we stopped for lunch.

Road and Ohinemuri River Med   Lrg

Bridge and Ohinemuri River Med   Lrg

Paeroa, you might recall, is the home of the L&P soft drink ("World Famous in New Zealand"), and just so you don't forget, a giant L&P bottle greets you as you enter the town, and L&P banners (apparently celebrating the soft drink's 100th birthday) flutter from light poles on both sides of the main street.

Giant L&P Bottle Med   Lrg

L&P Banner Med   Lrg

There was a lot of road work happening on this particular day, but we managed to find parking. We selected the Lazy Fish Café for our meal, and the food was quite good, especially the pumpkin soup. But when we asked for an L&P, they didn't have any. Probably the only such place in town.

Lazy Fish Café Med   Lrg

Connie and Butcher Shop, Paeroa Med   Lrg

Paeroa is also something of a crossroads, as a driver can select highways heading west toward Auckland, east toward Tauranga, south toward Matamata (scene of the hobbit shire in Lord of the Rings), or north, toward Thames and the Coromandel Peninsula, which was our destination. We took the Thames highway and reached the town without incident, and pulled into our motel, the Coastal Motor Lodge, just north of downtown.

Paeroa – Gateway to Everywhere Med   Lrg	Back on the Road Med   Lrg
Downtown Thames Med   Lrg	Coastal Motor Lodge Med   Lrg

We checked in and eventually found some dinner in town. Then we rested up for our expected exertions of the following day. We'd allocated just one day to explore the peninsula, and our plan was to start with its west coast.