DISCOVER NZ

COROMANDEL Friday 18 - Saturday 26 February 2022 8 nights

TOUR OVERVIEW On this leisurely exploration of the , immerse yourself in an area that is renowned for coastal towns and beach baches, but has so much more to offer. Weave up and down the coast enjoying breath-taking coastal vistas around every turn while visiting quirky and interesting small towns. Marvel at the juxta- position of sub-tropical native rain forest, farmland and golden sand beaches. We will be in no rush, so we can take our time to explore the nooks and crannies of this laid-back part of . This tour includes short, easy walks each with special character: native bush and birds, spectacular coastal views, pioneering and gold mining history.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS IS THIS TOUR FOR ME? This is a comprehensive tour of the Coromandel Peninsula, per- • Visit the iconic and fect for those who have never had the chance to visit, but Pottery Centre created by the late Barry Brickell equally appealing if you have visited the beach towns of the East coast of the Peninsula but not explored further. To make • See the iconic rock arch of Cathedral Cove, a the most of the tour, the ability to walk for up to 2 hours is rec- favourite of Hollywood films and the beach ommended. Although the tour is not physically demanding, that launched a million postcards the ability to manage your own luggage, walk and stand for extended periods, and climb steps and stairs will ensure you • Visit the magnificent Valley – get the maximum enjoyment from your tour. home of mighty Kauri, giant of the forest

• Enjoy walks on peaceful nature trails with abun- dant native bush and bird life

• Spend some free time at the most beautiful golden beaches in the country

• Explore the gold mining history of the picturesque and explore the Windows Walk.

• Enjoy meals at some of the many excellent local restaurants throughout the peninsula

• Meet the locals behind a successful native bush regeneration and pest eradication Photo credits: Destination Coromandel project. TOUR INCLUSIONS TOUR EXCLUSIONS • The services of an experienced Calder & Lawson • Domestic travel to Hamilton (flights can be Tours tour manager booked for you at an additional cost)

• 8 nights accommodation • Travel insurance • Meals not specified in the itinerary • Meals as specified in the itinerary • Beverages during included meals, unless • Local guides specified • All group transfers • Personal expenses • Admissions as detailed in the itinerary • If you wish to pay by credit card, a surcharge of 2.5% will be charged • Activities and sightseeing tours with local guides as detailed in the itinerary

• Pre-tour material

TOUR PRICE Share twin or double occupancy NZD$3,790 Single Supplement NZD$ 990 Please contact Calder & Lawson Tours if you are interested in a single occupancy place, as they are limited. GROUP SIZE Minimum 10, maximum 18 VARIATIONS IN TRAVEL We can make arrangements for any travel you would like to do before or after this tour. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

TOUR MANAGER Kevin is the owner of Calder & Lawson Tours, having taken over from the original owners in January 2020. Kevin caught the travel bug while a student at the University of and for the past 25 years has managed to incorporate his spirit of adventure and love of the new and different into a career that has enabled him to live and work in the UK, United States, Micronesia and now back in New Zealand. At last count he has been to more than 80 countries. Kevin took our Coromandel tour in Feb 2021 and knows how to get the most out of time in the area. DAILY ITINERARY

Friday 18 February 2022 Leaving Hamilton in the morning, you will travel across the Hauraki Plains to Hamilton - Thames Thames. After a stop for lunch you will head on up to the Meals: D Visitors Centre which is staffed by DoC Rangers and learn about the history Coach: 1 hour 30 minutes of kauri logging and Maori occupation in the area. Overnight: Thames Returning to Thames we will visit the brand-new Coromandel Distilling Company, where the owner Paul Schneider will host us for a tasting of a selection of his micro-distilled local gin. The flagship Coromandel gin is infused with local botanicals while a manuka wood aged ‘blue gin’ turns pink when you add tonic. Enjoy a welcome dinner with the group at a local restaurant.

Saturday 19 February Thames comes alive on market day and after breakfast this morning at the Thames Melbourne Café right in the centre of town you will have free time to enjoy Meals: B/D Thames market day. Lining up and down both sides of the main street, this Overnight: Thames lively market has a large number of stalls with an eclectic range of goods, Coach: 2 hours from old books to home-made food and fresh produce. Then visit the Thames Goldmine Experience, going through an operational 19th century stamper battery and into one of the richest goldmines of the time. Following a break for lunch you will drive to the Pukorokoro shorebird centre on the Miranda coast. A large number and variety of shorebirds can be found at Pukorokoro including godwits, red knots, oystercatchers and the endemic wrybill. We will visit at high tide which is the best time to come bird-watching.

Sunday 20 February You’ll leave Thames early, and after a short drive along the Thames Coast, Thames - Coromandel stop for breakfast at the Waiomu Beach Café. Meals: B/D Overnight: Coromandel Further up the coastal road, stop at the Raupaura Water Gardens on the Coach: 1 hour 30 minutes Tapu- Rd. Abundant native bush and ferns, birds (tui, fantail, silver eyes and wood pigeon), meandering walks over bridges and streams and a bush walk to a cascading waterfall await you here. There are seasonal displays of native and exotic flowers. Orchids, begonias, hydrangeas and water lilies are in flower from November to April.

Carry on to Coromandel township and Driving Creek Railway and Potteries. This is the labour of love of the late Barry Brickell who built New Zealand’s steepest narrow-gauge railway and pottery studio in the hills of the Coromandel. Climb through regenerating native forest where unique pottery sculptures and murals line the track and enjoy the spectacular views over the . Enjoy dinner with the group at a local restaurant this evening.

Monday 21 February This morning you will travel further up into the heart of the peninsula, as Coromandel paved roads turn into gravel roads, you will drive through the spectacular Meals: B/PL/D blend of native bush and coastal scenery before arriving on the east coast Overnight: Coromandel at the remote community of Tuateawa. Here you will spend time meeting Coach: 2 hours the locals who will share their community conservation projects, a short bush walk and morning tea, a great opportunity to learn more about the communities in this area of the Coromandel.

Lunch today will be a picnic at the gorgeous Little Bay before heading back to Coromandel township via the Waterworks and a stop to visit “Stu and the pigs” and the magnificent Waiau kauri grove on the famous 309 road.

Tuesday 22 February Today you will be treated to a full day tour with a local guide leaving town Coromandel and driving north to the tip of the Coromandel peninsula with plenty of stops Meals: B/PL/D en-route to learn the history and geology of the peninsula and enjoy the Overnight: Coromandel spectacular views of native bush and coastline. An optional one hour walk Coach: 8 hours with lots of stops along the scenic coastline will give you a chance to enjoy the magnificent coastal scenery or you can choose to relax at the beach. Wednesday 23 February This morning after breakfast a local guide will take us a relaxed (flat) walking Coromandel - tour of Coromandel township. During the tour you will hear stories from the Meals: B/D locals of this unique historic town, learn about the local Tangata Whenua Overnight: Whitianga and discover the history of how Coromandel got its name, why Kauri trees Coach: 2 hours were felled, the uses for the Kauri gum, the great fire of 1895 and the gold rush. Then you’ll travel over the Coromandel Ranges past and the alluring Harbour. Stop at the iconic Kuaotunu Luke’s Café, then on to Whitianga and a free afternoon.

Thursday 24 February This morning, board Ocean 2, an ex-coastguard vessel for a coves, cliffs and Whitianga coastline boat trip to Cathedral Cove. Sail with a local and learn about the Meals: B/D local history and geology and look out for birds, fish and sea mammals. After Overnight: Whitianga lunch, join your tour manager for a drive to Cooks beach to enjoy coastal Coach: 1 hour views and catch the ferry back to town, or you may wish to take the afternoon to visit the Lost Spring Spa in Whitianga.

Friday 25 February This morning visit a local macadamia orchard for a short tour of the orchard Whitianga - Whangamata and factory and a tasting of their delicious product. Then travel to Hot Water Meals: B/D Beach, popular for a patch of thermal water bubbling just beneath the Overnight: Whangamata surface of the sand at low tide where we will dig a hole and have a paddle Coach: 1 hour 30 minutes in the warn waters.

Continue past Sailors Grave and through to Whangamata. You’ll have some time in the afternoon for a walk on the beach, check out the main street shops or head to the wharf to watch the boats come in. Our farewell dinner this evening will be at a local restaurant.

Saturday 26 February Travel south to Waihi then head west through the Karangahake Gorge to Whangamata - Hamilton . A nationally significant gold heritage site, the gorge was once a Meals: B/PL maze of bridges, trams and water races. The regenerating native bush and Coach: 1 hour 30 minutes crystalline currents of the Waitawheta River makes for a beautiful nature spot. The Windows Walk is one of the most interesting in the area because of the mining remnants with windows blasted through the sides of gold mining tunnels providing stunning views down into the Waitawheta River. After exploring the Gorge, enjoy a last picnic lunch together before heading back to Hamilton.

HOW TO SECURE YOUR PLACE ON THIS TOUR A deposit of $500 is required to secure your place on the tour. When minimum numbers are reached, the tour will become a ‘confirmed departure’ and your deposit will be non-refundable. At that point we will advise when the tour payment will be due. If the tour is unable to operate as a result of government travel restrictions due to Covid-19, you will have the choice of transferring your deposit to another tour or receive a full refund.

• Click here to complete the online registration form, pay the $500 per person deposit and your place in this tour is secured.

• Or you can complete a paper registration form. You can down load one from the website www.calderandlawsontours.co.nz, or give us a call and we will email or post one to you.

TERMS & CONDITIONS Can be found on the website www.calderandlawsontours.co.nz, on the back of the paper registration form or on the summary page when you complete an online registration. If you wish to pay by credit card, a surcharge of 2.5% will be charged.

VARIATIONS This itinerary is Version 1 dated 22/07/2021 and is subject to change.