UMC'98 - Recommended Tracks on the Coromandel Peninsula

Coromandel Walkway *****

For the casual visitor, this easy track can be attempted from either side, Fletcher Bay or Stony Bay. To get to Fletcher Bay, follow the coastal road beyond Colville and keep left at every occasion. There is a backpacker hostel at Fletcher Bay, but you must take your own food. Apart from this the closest accommodation is in Colville, and the nearest restaurants are in Coromandel. Allow about 2 1/2 hours to get from Coromandel to Fletcher Bay in a car. Getting to Stony Bay is only sligtly shorter, from Colville via Port Charles.

From Fletcher Bay, the walkway leads through farm park land with some nice stands of nikau palm and magnificent views of the coastline and Great Barrier Island in the distance. Eventually, the track enters tea-tree forest. In never ventures beyound about 150m above sea level. The bush then gets thicker, and eventually one descends into a small bay - watch out for paua and other shellfish here. For some people this is as far as they want to go - sunbathe or swim, and return. If not, carry on up the hill and through more bush, with a quick sidetrip to a lookout, to Stony Bay. Stony Bay has a ranger station and a campground, some nice pohutukawa, and a stony beach...

The return trip from either side takes about 6 hours, so makes for a good day's excursion with beautiful bush and coastal views.
 

Mt Moehau *****

Mt Moehau is often visible in the distance from Auckland - it is the highest peak in the Coromandel range at just under 900m. The track permits a traversal of the range from west to east or vice versa, but due to lack of public transport it is often attempted as a return trip from one side only. Then again maybe UMC'98 will spark a team with two cars? The western access is about 8km south of the Fantail Bay campground on the Fletcher Bay Road north of Colville. It is easy to miss - watch out for a big noticeboard one the land side of the road. The eastern access if from Stony Bay.

Since the track terminates at sea level on either side, there is quite a bit of steepness involved. The western side features more lush forest whereas the eastern side features predominantly tea tree. It is easy to get lost, so pay attention to track markers (read the noticeboard). A traversal or complete return trip take about 9 hours. It may be muddy at the top, but the views are specatular on a good day. If there are no views, either side of the track still makes a nice bushwalk.

Coming from the western side, the first summit one reaches is "Little Moehau". "Big Moehau" is about half an hour further to the north.

Please note that Moehau is a Maori burial ground and sacred mountain. Keep to the track, and don't do anything you wouldn't do on a cemetery elsewhere.

Broken Hills Walkway ****

On the eastern side of the peninsula. Take the road from Hikuai, or the turnoff from Highway 25A from Thames/Kopu. This used to be a through road until it was blocked by a major slip and considered uneconomical to repair. The track is in the slip area, so no matter from where you approach you can't be too wrong. Take a torch or two.

From the base of the slip, the loop track ascends to a number of old gold mine shafts, quite a few of which are now home to glow worms - so they're well worth a visit. At one stage, the track goes through a 500m long mine tunnel (you definitely need a torch or two here!). On the other side, navigation becomes a bit tricky, but if you catch the right turn, you'll end up where you came from after another hour or so in the bush (this includes a lookout from where you can see the east coast).

The track takes about two hours in total.

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