Travel north of Tauranga for a day trip in your rental car and discover some beautiful places to visit – many which are free and child friendly. The route through Karangahake to Waihi on the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula offers dramatic scenery and some spectacular historic tracks ideal for exploring.
There are a number of activities that come highly recommended in the area:
- Visit the Martha Mine at Waihi – This is an open cast gold mine and offers tours and educational displays telling Waihi’s gold story of past present and future
- Take the Goldfields Railway heritage train ride to from Waihi to Waikino through the spectacular Karangahake Gorge
- Try the Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway at the end of the Goldfields Railway line, which follows the banks of the Ohinemuri River
- Dickey Flat campground is a Department of Conservation campground located on the northern edge of the Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park. One of the excellent walking tracks accessible from here will take you through beautiful bush and a long mining tunnel (take a torch or headlight) arriving at a great swimming hole, which is fantastic on a hot summers day.
- Cycle the Karangahake Gorge – Adventures Southern Coromandel offers mountain bike hire and can pick you up from your accommodation, dropping you back when you are finished
- If you’re planning on staying in the area overnight there are plenty of accommodation provides and places to eat in and around Waihi
If you would rather stay closer to the coast check for my next blog post on Waihi Beach and the walk through to Orokawa and Homunga Bays.
Tauranga Travel Options
If you have come into Tauranga on a cruise boat, head to NZ Rent a Car’s Tauranga car rental depot and grab a great deal on a rental car. They are located very close to the port and are experienced at organising delivery of rental cars for cruise ship passengers. You could even get a group together and hire a minibus or minivan for additional savings.
Happy travels!
Heather
New Zealand Rent A Car
