7 DAY TOUR FOR FRIENDS OF TE PAPA 14 – 20 OCTOBER 2024
The Coromandel Peninsula does not just have an abundance of natural beauty but is also rich in Maori history and early European settler heritage. This tour will spend 2 nights in Thames to explore historic Thames with a knowledgeable local guide . We visit the Thames School of Mines, the Bella Street Pump House and Museum of Technology as well as the Thames Goldmine Experience. In Coromandel town we will be going on a guided walking tour and we experience the famous Driving Creek Railway and Pottery. As we wind our way around the peninsula, we visit Whitianga for a 2-hour glass-bottom boat cruise to picturesque Cathedral Cove, followed by dinner and wine tasting at Mercury Bay Estate in Cooks Beach. We will stay for 2 nights in Whangamata, as a base to explore the historic town of Waihi with all its gold mining history. We will also take a ride on the historic railway from Waihi to Waikino, and visit the Victoria Battery Tramway museum and Karangahake Gorge. On our last day, before heading back to Auckland, we have time to explore the Paeroa Historical Maritime park and museum.
Historic Coromandel tour 14 – 20 October 2024 – Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Monday 14th October
Make your own way to Auckland Approx. 10.00 am leave Auckland airport and arrive in Thames around midday for
lunch. This afternoon we visit the Thames Art Gallery, established 50 years ago in the historic Thames North School building. This is followed by a visit to nearby Thames Gold Mining Experience. A guided tour takes us through an operational 19th century Stamper Battery and into one of the richest goldmines of the time. Dinner and overnight in Thames (Rolleston or Avalon Motel).
Day 2: Tuesday 15th October
Today we tour Thames with Rosalie, a local historian/story teller. Rosalie will share with us her vast knowledge of local early settler and Maori history, including a visit to Shortland Wharf and Totara , a historic Pah site. We will also visit the Thames School of Mines and Mineralogical Museum, part of Heritage NZ, the historic Bella Street Pumphouse and Museum of Technology. Dinner and overnight in Thames (Rolleston or Avalon Motel).
Day 3: Wednesday 16th October
This morning we drive along the beautiful coastal road to Coromandel town where we go on a 90 min. “ Boom, Bust and Beyond” Guided Walking Heritage tour . Lunch at your leisure before we visit the Driving Creek railway and pottery in the afternoon. There will also be some time to explore the quaint little town with its boutique shops and art galleries. Dinner at The Peppertree Restaurant and overnight at Anchor Lodge Motel in Coromandel.
Day 4: Thursday 17th October
After breakfast we d rive to Whitianga with a couple of scenic stops on the way, lunch at your leisure in Whitianga. At 1.00 pm we embark on a 2-hour Glass Bottom Boat cruise to picturesque Cathedral Cove. Then the local ferry takes us across the harbour to Ferry Landing (just 5 min away) where our bus will meet us to go to Cooks Beach where we will enjoy wine tasting and a wood fired pizza at Mercury Bay Estate Winery. After dinner we continue down the coast to Whangamata where we stay the night at Breakers Motel.
Day 5: Friday 18th October
After breakfast there’s time to enjoy a walk around Whangamata before we leave at 10.00 am to drive approx. half an hour to Waihi . Today is all about the gold with the Waihi Gold Experience late morning and a guided tour of the Waihi Gold Mine and the Cornish Pump House in the afternoon. We arrive back in Whangamata late afternoon with the rest of the day and dinner at your leisure. Overnight at Breakers Motel.
Day 6: Saturday 19th October
This morning we travel the historic Goldfield railway from Waihi to Waikino where we visit the Victoria Battery Tramway museum. Following lunch at the Station cafe we head back to Waihi. This afternoon we visit the Waihi Art Center and Museum before driving to Paeroa via the Karangahake Gorge stopping en route for a short walk. Dinner and overnight in Paeroa at Padlars Motel.
Day 7: Sunday 20th October
After breakfast we visit the Historical Maritime Park and Museum in Paeroa. After lunch, we drive back to Auckland and plan to arrive at Auckland airport by 3.00 pm. Please book your flight home after 4.30 pm.
Included Accommodation and Meals:
- 2 nights in Thames – Welcome dinner
- 1 night Coromandel – Dinner at Peppertree
- 2 nights Whangamata – Dinner at Mercury Bay Estate
- 1 night Paeroa
Please note: Breakfasts, lunches and 3 dinners are at your choice and cost.
Tour price includes:
- Pick up/drop off from/to Auckland airport Comfortable
- transport in modern air conditioned 36-seater coach Escorted by Claudia Moir – NZ Travel Brokers Mangawhai
- 2 nights in Thames (Rolleston Motel or Avalon Motel)
- Visit to the Thames Art Gallery
- Guided tour at the Thames Gold Mining Experience
- Welcome dinner in Thames
- A day with local guide Rosalie in Thames visiting various historic sights of Maori significance and early settler heritage
- Guided tour of Bella Street Pump House and Museum of Technology
- Guided tour of the Thames School of Mines Museum
- Coromandel “Boom Bust and Beyond” guided walking tour
- A visit to Driving Creek Railway and pottery Dinner at the Peppertree Restaurant in Coromandel
- 1 night at Anchor Lodge Coromandel
- 2-hour glass bottom boat tour from Whitianga to Cathedral Cove
- Dinner and wine tasting at Mercury Bay Estate, Cooks Beach
- 2 nights at Breakers Motel in Whangamata
- Waihi Gold Experience and Gold mine tour plus visit of the Cornish pump house
- Goldfields railway from Waihi to Waikino
- A visit of the Victoria Battery tramway museum
- A visit of the Waihi Art Center and museum
- 1 night at Padlars Motel in Paeroa
- A visit of the Historic Maritime Park and museum in Paeroa
Price per person: $2,990 (twin share). Single supplement: $950 if a single room is required.
Please note: there are only limited single rooms available but there are some 2-bedroom units with 2 separate bedrooms and 1 shared bathroom. If you are a solo traveller and happy to share one of these rooms with another traveller of the same gender, you don’t need to pay the single supplement.
Minimum 16 passengers, maximum 20.
T’s and C’s: To secure your place on this tour a deposit payment of $500 per person is required at time of booking. The deposit is refundable up to 90 days prior to departure or in case the minimum numbers for the tour are not reached. If cancelled within 90 days of departure the deposit payment becomes non-refundable. Full payment is required 60 days prior to departure, this is refundable up to 31 days prior to departure (minus the deposit payment). The booking becomes non-refundable if cancelled within 30 days of departure. We recommend travel insurance.
BOOK NOW:
To book please contact:
Claudia Moir – NZ Travel Brokers
phone: 09-4315899 or 021-431589 email: [email protected]
Trading as a member of NZ Travel Brokers Ltd, TAANZ Bonded & IATA Accredited, Level 7, 1 – 19 Fitzherbert Avenue, Palmerston North 4410
“I believe that life is all about experiences created by special people and amazing places we visit” – Claudia Moir NZ Travel Brokers, Mangawhai.