The east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula around Tairua Harbour can feel very busy during the holidays, especially in the substantial towns of Tairua and Pauanui. Despite the crowds, it’s a lovely area with two beautiful ocean beaches and some excellent day walks, including the old gold mining walks at Broken Hills to the west of Hikuai.
To get to Tairua Harbour, take State Highway 25 south from Waihi, or come through the windy 25A from Kopu to Hikuai. From near Hikuai you can continue on to Tairua, turn left to Pauanui or right to Broken Hills.
Tairua Harbour
Large grassy reserves on both sides of Tairua Harbour make it a great place to hang out, walk, and cycle, plus it’s safe for a wide range of water activities, with good swimming is at high tide. You can access the harbour from either Tairua or Pauanui, although the walkways between the two sides aren’t linked.
Pauanui Beach
Pauanui is an unusual place for New Zealand, purpose built as an upmarket beachside town in the 1970s. There’s a cycling track that you can follow on the south side of the harbour, but a visit is really about the beach – it’s one of the best in the Coromandel.
Pauanui Beach has a modest amount of freedom camping at either end, and a large reserve that separates it from the nearest houses. It’s pretty safe to swim anywhere being somewhat sheltered by offshore islands, but there’s surf patrol toward the southern end.
If you walk to the southern end, you’ll find the Pauanui Trig Track. You can hike 90 minutes up Pauanui Hill, then down to the southern end of the beach and around the stony shoreline. There are also shorter walks to a viewpoint, an ancient volcanic rock platform and a coastal cave.
Pauanui dawn walk
For east coast beaches, sunrises are particularly glorious. At Pauanui, walk down to the large volcanic rock platform at the south end of the beach. When the tide goes out there are large rock pools that capture reflected light. The formation itself is interesting, and oddly the small bay below the point is made up of smooth rounded stones and pebbles.
Tangitororia Falls
When you turn left out of Pauanui and drive for just few minutes, there’s an unmarked parking area on the eastern side of the road. It’s easy to miss but not long after the 70 kph speed zone ends.
It’s then a short walk along the Tangitororia Stream to a waterfall and swimming hole. On Topo maps the track is marked as Gumdigger Gully, while Google Maps marks the waterfall but not the track.
Broken Hills
When Europeans arrived in New Zealand, the Coromandel was rich in gold and kauri trees. At Broken Hills, west of Hikuai and accessed along Puketui Valley Road, gold mining and logging resulted in some great hiking tracks across very rugged terrain, as well as various mining artefacts.
There are several walking options, but for a full experience drive to the furthest car park down Puketui Valley Road, past the campsite. Head south along the Puketui River and through a mining tunnel, following the signs for Collins Drive. You can take short side-walks to the waterfall at Government Battery and the Water Race Tunnels, and then the walk climbs steeply to Collins Drive. After Collins Drive the track is a lot rougher, but there’s a short deviation to a great viewpoint to the east, including the Pinnacles. Otherwise keep going until you loop back to the river track. The whole walk takes 2 to 3 hours.
The same track also connects to a tough day-long tramp that connects to the Pinnacles track and the Kauaeranga Valley near Thames.
Hikuai
Hikuai is a small settlement off State Highway 25, where you can either turn off to Pauanui, head to Broken Hills, or continue on to Tairua and further north up the peninsula. There are several ways to access the Puketui River before Broken Hills, with swimming holes and views of the Pinnacles and Coromandel Range from the main highway.
Paku track
The Paku track is a relatively easy, must-do walk in the Coromandel. If you choose, you can drive halfway up the ancient twin peak volcano at the northern head of the Tairua Harbour, then walk the remaining twenty or so minutes to the top.
At the peak there’s a spectacular 270-degree view of the Pacific Ocean, Pauanui and Tairua. There are also great information panels as you walk, explaining the geological history of the surrounding area and Paku, the twin exposed volcanic cores that eroded.
Tairua Ocean Beach
Tairua Ocean Beach is another beautiful east coast bay, albeit largely fronted by houses. There are a few access points, the most obvious at the north end of the beach off Ocean Beach Road. There’s also some freedom camping on Ocean Beach, and if it’s a bit crowded you can walk around the northern rocky point to the sandy areas away from the main beach.
Want more Coromandel trip ideas?
Check out our recent posts on Whangamata, Onemana and Opoutere and Adventures around Waihi Beach.