Bush retreat in the Coromandel

If you want to spend a few days surrounded by native bush, Department of Conservation huts may be ideal. Donning your walking shoes is the only way to reach some remote huts, but the department also has a list of campsites on the coast and near streams and rivers.

Some huts are so popular you will have to book - such as the Pinnacles Hut on the Coromandel, which offers comfortable beds for up to 80 people.

There are five DoC camping grounds at the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula.

All are in remote coastal settings and - along with eight more campsites in the Kauaeranga Valley - provide easy access to cycling tracks, walks and historical sites.

But pack your bags carefully - walking into DoC huts takes about three hours.

Contact: ph (07) 867 9080

Coromandel conservation destinations

Department of Conservation