Whitianga & Mercury Bay

• Buffalo Beach, Whitianga - named after the H.M.S. Buffalo wrecked here in 1840, this beach offers safe swimming, good fishing & shellfish collecting. Further north is Wharekaho Beach, Cooks first landing place in NZ, where also the areas main Maori Pa was located.

• Kuaotunu – once a thriving gold mining town, this area offers a good beach, fishing and access - via the famous Black Jack Road - to the picturesque white sand beaches of Otama and Opito. Nearby Matarangi – a purpose-built, resort town offering 4.5km of beautiful beach and safe swimming. Amenities include a golf course, tennis, boat ramp, airfield and dairy.

• Coromandel Town With its relaxed, laid-back lifestyle, Coromandel attracts talented artists and craftspeople from around the country. The discovery of gold at Driving Creek in 1852 brought a boom to Coromandel, and the area has continued to flourish while retaining much of its history from those times.

• Hahei - from the lookout of this attractive beach (named after the Maori Chief Hei) there is access to Cathedral Cove and the Marine Reserve. Further south at Hahei is another magnificent beach and a very scenic walking track to Cathedral Cove. • Hot Water Beach - for two hours either side of low tide, visitors can dig themselves into the sand and enjoy the hot spring waters.

Whitianga

• Cooks Beach - flanked by Shakespeare Cliff to the west and the picnic spot of Purangi River to the East, this is a popular visitor destination.