Coromandel: Walking Trails, Art and Local History

Coromandel brings together a trail over a bush-covered ridgeline, guided local history, art and unusual inventions. You can shape your trip around different interests: perhaps a walk to a lookout, a tour of historic buildings or a visit to the exhibition in the town centre. Nearby attractions offer their own experiences too – from a ride on the Driving Creek Railway to a coastal walk.

Walk to the Kauri Block lookout

The Kauri Block trail follows a ridgeline through regenerating bush and native plantings below Te Kauri Pā. A 45-minute return walk leads to a lookout at a pā, with views over the town and sea. The trail can be accessed from the top of Harbour View Road or via a path beside 356 Wharf Road in Coromandel Town. The walk’s duration and lookout make it a practical option for anyone wanting to include some exercise and a view of the surrounding area in their stay.

Local history and art in Coromandel Town

“Boom, Bust and Beyond” is a 90-minute guided walking tour through the centre of Coromandel Town. The tour passes through historic buildings and covers the town’s Māori history. It is described as suitable for people of all abilities, as well as for wheelchairs, strollers and buggies. If you’re interested in history, this is a guided way to explore the buildings and learn about the town’s past; the duration also helps you fit the tour into your day.

Art is also part of the town’s character: the Coromandel Arts Tour exhibition at Hauraki House Gallery in the town centre features work by participating artists. A guide helps you plan your visit. This lets you combine an interest in art with a look at the work of the participating artists, without conflating the exhibition with the history tour.

Unusual experiences and excursions

The Waterworks is a theme park in Coromandel Town featuring water-powered inventions and quirky contraptions. It has more than 70 attractions and an adventure playground. The variety of inventions makes the park a different kind of outing from the walking trails or the history and art offerings. Depending on your interests, you can choose between nature, guided local history and playful contraptions.

Near Coromandel, the Driving Creek Railway runs for 1 hour and 15 minutes through tunnels and over hand-built bridges to the EyeFull Tower lookout. Another option is the Coromandel Walkway, a coastal walk between Stony Bay and Fletcher Bay. It passes through farmland and coastal forest, with views along the way of the Pinnacles, Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island) to the north, and Cuvier Island (Repanga Island) to the east. The two excursions are quite different: one centres on a train ride to a lookout tower, while the other is a coastal walk with views of the named islands and landscape features.

Locally brewed beer

Coromandel Town Supply is a brewery in the heart of Coromandel Town, where beer is brewed and bottled on site. You can try new beers in the tasting room, refill containers at the refill station or take cans home. This adds an experience centred on locally brewed beer to the options in Coromandel, with a different focus from walking, art or local history.

Consider nearby attractions if you’d like to visit the coastal walk or the Driving Creek Railway as well as the offerings in Coromandel Town.

Discover more places

You can also explore Kuaotunu, Whitianga, Opito Bay, Cooks Beach, Hikutaia, Hahei, Tairua and Thames.

For the broader travel overview: Thames-Coromandel District.