Coromandel Travel Guide

Ngatea Water Gardens at the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula is one of New Zealand's loveliest water gardens. Ponds, waterfalls and boardwalks weave through water lilies, lotus and aquatic plants blooming through the seasons, with a café and playground on site; a favourite for weddings and photography, its curved bridges invite slow, serene strolls.

Kauri Grove near Waiau on the Coromandel Peninsula preserves a stand of giant kauri trees, the largest estimated at over 1,200 years old. A 1.5 km trail through beech and ferns reaches the grove, where looking up at the towering trunks is breathtaking — among the easiest kauri viewing spots in the North Island.

Waiau Falls on the Waiau River in the Coromandel Peninsula is a multi-tiered waterfall of about 20 m hidden in native rainforest. A clear plunge pool sits below, good for summer swimming; the short trail passes ferns and giant trees in rain-forest air — a refreshing roadside stop on a Coromandel drive.