Travel notes: Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand

If you ever get the chance to travel to New Zealand, a must-see is the Coromandel Peninsula. So much to see and do, including Coromandel Town, Whitianga, Cathedral Cove and the Mercury Bay Marine Reserve. For the photographer and nature lover, it is a true gem.

Coromandel

Coromandel is a favorite holiday spot for Kiwis and visitors alike, with pristine sandy beaches and relaxed holiday vibes. A beautiful oasis to stop, relax and enjoy the gorgeous weather. Seeing some truly breathtaking scenery as we drove up and over the mountains with the bay finally coming into view before us. We booked into our hotel and then headed out to explore the town of Coromandel itself, so quaint and beachy.

We organized our boat tour for the next day. This time we did a lot more research and picked a small craft that held no more than 16 passengers, the skipper was also a photographic enthusiast and offered special photographic tours of the Bay, the Cove and out to the Marine Reserve … just what we wanted!

We then heard about the Driving Creek Railway and drove up there for the late afternoon train ride and a quick wander around.

Driving Creek Railway

This is the dream of Potter Barry Brickell who started this project in 1973. Building 3 km of this incredible narrow-gauge railway track in very steep bushland, mostly by hand! We hopped on board the little train for a most enjoyable and informative 1-hour train trip up the mountain to the Eye-Full Tower for amazing views out over the bay. It was also lovely and cool among the trees. Filled with handmade tunnels and various sculptures and large pottery pieces along the track. It was fairly dark and the train a little too fast making it difficult to obtain good photos while the train was moving. But a totally enjoyable afternoon and well worth the side trip.

Back at our motel room for a delightful cool drink and nibbles while watching the sunset. It couldn’t have been more perfect for a view out over the bay from our deck.

Whitianga Wharf

Driving up through the hills from Coromandel Town to Whitianga Wharf was delightful in the cool early morning. We explored the little coast town before heading to our zodiac with Cathedral Cove Scenic Cruises.

Cathedral Cove Scenic Cruises

We had the most amazing day on the water with our skipper, Ken, a keen photographer himself. He took us to all the best spots. Cathedral Cove, Orua Sea Cave and some brilliant coastlines. This 2.5-hour cruise was definitely a highlight of our trip. Amazing photos and even saw a hammerhead shark in the marine park. Having picked a small vessel and knowledgeable cruise operator we were confident of getting the best views and amazing photos from a local who knew the area very well. So much better than the large cruise boats we have had in the past. Not to mention being on a zodiac on the water was such a thrill.

I wished we had spent more time that just a few days here. I would dearly love to come back to this beautiful coastal area.

Tips:

• It’s quite choppy on the water, so try and have your shutter speed at least 1/1600 to 1/2500 second, ISO can be at least ISO400 — 640
• It’s difficult to say the least to change lenses while on the water, salt spray, movement etc. So pick a lens and stick with it. I took a 18-200mm.
• If you are going out on the water, a CPL (Circular Polarizer Filter) can help cut down glare and can allow you to capture the action below the surface if you’re lucky to see some.
• Of course, don’t forget water, sunscreen, a hat, and a lens cleaner to remove the sea spray you will inevitably get on your lens. A UV filter/protector may be a good investment too.
• When not shooting, try to keep your camera and lens covered to protect them from salt spray and water.