Time to relax in Coromandel

On the other side of the Hauraki Gulf is a region almost divorced from consumer culture, a place that still retains the values of times gone by. In a world of destination list-ticking, the Coromandel offers a breath of fresh air.

It's a fine place for a weekend jaunt and an opportunity to leave behind the dusty, traffic-filled streets of Auckland, replacing the scenery of high-rise offices with ocean views, beaches and open fields, and to effortlessly slip into "Coromandel Time".

The Coromandel is a "leave your wristwatch at home" kind of place. There is a gentler pace of life here that forces visitors to relax.

But the feeling of freedom comes way before you reach your destination and bed for the night, for which the choice is varied and plentiful.

Try not to speed over the endless straights of the Hauraki Plains. Instead, ease off and leave SH25 before the Kopu Bridge, travel along Hauraki Rd to Turua and follow signs to Piako Ostriches for a taste of Africa. Literally.

Here, Phil and Louise Hale start their ostrich farm tour with an egg that can weigh up to 2kg and is tough enough to stand on.

Fledglings scurry about unsteadily and rest in intertwined scrums behind windows. The fully grown ostriches are all feathers, beaks and feet and have an inquisitive nature. But don't get too chummy as most tours end with a chance to sample barbecued ostrich.

Phil says ostrich is the Rolls-Royce of leather because the feather quill pattern gives strength and durability. They have been farming ostriches for seven years but started out as dairy farmers.

As you leave the farm behind, perhaps having bought a coloured ostrich feather as a memento, head toward Cooks Beach and turn right up the metalled track to Shakespeare Cliff for panoramic views of Mercury Bay. This is where your camera comes out to capture the majesty.

Below, Lonely Bay basks in splendid isolation lapped by inviting wavelets. If the weather is with you this is an ideal place for a picnic.

Halfway down the road is a parking bay above a 10-minute track to the pohutukawa-lined cove, a perfect place to stretch your legs and listen to the sounds of nature.

On Saturday you could head north and explore some of the country's finest beaches.

At Kuaotunu, turn right along the treacherous Black Jack Rd. Stop at the lookouts for vast views north along the peninsula's eastern seaboard. The landscape, seascape and skyscapes will keep you mesmerised, a dynamic canvas of ever-changing visual therapy.

Pull over at Otama or drive over the next headland to Opito Bay with its headland walk to the pa site and views of the numerous offshore islands.

It's a restful place where children of all ages can play and relax.

There's nothing like sampling the flavour of a holiday destination and among the many places to do this is the Castle Rock Winery on SH25 where locally grown fruit and vegetables are used to produce a variety of colourful wines. And there's also some old-fashioned style jams and jellies to buy.

With the taste of fruit still on your lips continue over the range to Coromandel Town and the Government Stamper Battery which opened in 1900 for gold prospectors.

The restored water wheel-driven battery wakes the dead with its deafening clangs punctuated by the whirring of straps and juddering corduroy table.

It's an image far removed from the peace and tranquillity the area is known for, but it does send the imagination back to a time when the peninsula was booming with prospectors in search of their fortunes.

Today's Coromandel gold is not a precious metal, but a treasured place known for the warmth and hospitality of its people, who are keen to share their gold.

Sometimes however, the weather can send you under cover so consider a trip to the rugged and remote top of the peninsula.

Sit back and be driven to Port Jackson, past 150-year-old pohutukawa lining the pebbled shore. Watch the showers march across the Hauraki Gulf, the turquoise water and grey sky fusing into dramatic displays.

This trip takes visitors to the Coromandel of half a century ago, with decaying farm sheds the only sign of visitors past.

Many spots along the coast are ideal for fishing from the beach. Most are along the west coast near Coromandel Town which is known for its colonial style architecture. Hire a rod in town and catch your supper.

Surfers tend to head for Hot Water Beach or to Whangamata if they are really keen.

Thames has that olde town feeling and shouldn't be missed.

The main drag is awash with historical buildings and boutique shops, many selling interesting works from local artists. It has an atmosphere all its own and it doesn't take too much imagination to visualise horses and carts making their way down the street.

For a taste of the past, the drive home on Sunday could include a stop at Matatoki Cheese Farm, 5km south of Kopu. This local farmhouse industry makes around 20 varieties of cheese, from creamy feta to Swiss-style Marsdaam. Cheeses are made in the traditional way with milk from their Jersey and Fresian cows.

A weekend of "Coromandel time" will slow you down so there'll be no rush to get home. You may even arrive to work on Monday morning without your wristwatch remembering that just down the road is a place to revive, rejuvenate and above all, return.



THINGS TO DO

Piako Ostriches. Ph (07) 867 5326. What it costs: adult $8.50, senior citizen $7, children 5-12 yrs $3.50, under 5 free.

It's 15 minutes from Thames, eight minutes from Ngatea and five minutes off SH25.

On the web: Thames info

Castle Rock Winery Ph (07) 866 4564



Coromandel Gold Stamper Battery.

Ph (07) 866 7933

Bay Carving. Ph (07) 866 4021

Matatoki Farm Cheese

Ph (07) 868 1284

The Coromandel