Home is where the heartland is
30 Dec, 2020 12:02 PM
8 minutes to read
Operating for thirty years, Franz Josef Glacier Guides allows visitors to access remote terrain that would normally only be accessible to experience mountaineers.
Photo / Ngāi Tahu Tourism
In four decades as a travel writer and several more years as a living, breathing, wandering Kiwi, I’ve seen just about every square inch of Aotearoa. But it’s only in the past few months I’ve encountered two special places for the first time. By Ewan McDonald
They re at either end of the country – the impossibly beautiful white-sand beaches of Karikari Peninsula and the impossibly beautiful deep-green waters, forests and mountains of Te Wahi Pounamou, our World Heritage Area in the Deep South.
Here’s how to do a North Island roadie:
Tootle down SH1 and, two and a bit hours later, you’ll be enjoying the sun and sand of the Coromandel Peninsula. Take your time because there’s lots to enjoy – around 400km of coastline, laid-back locals and highly Instagrammable wonders such as Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach.
Join a sea cave tour to explore hidden gems such as Cooks Blowhole and Shakespeare Cliff. Pack your togs because this is ground zero for swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving where you’ll eyeball all manner of marine life.
Speaking of which, afterwards drive to nearby Hahei where you can sample some of the region’s best fish and chips at the Hungri Hunter Gourmet Food Cottage.