Tour de Coromandel
This fantastic weekend trip is a great way to get out of town without needing a car. Why not spend the weekend cycling to the Coromandel. This 160 km cycling mission includes a train ride, a ferry ride, great scenery, quiet roads and hot pools. Why not see the country and get fit at the same time.
Highlights
- Coastal scenery
- Hot pools at Miranda Holiday Park
- Drinking a well deserved beer on the ferry ride home
How Long:
The ride involves approximately 7-8 hours of cycling and so is ideal for a weekend trip. It is a 45 minute train ride from downtown Auckland to the start of the ride at Papakura. The only time constraint is the return ferry, which leaves the Coromandel at 4:30 pm on Sunday.
Book the ferry
Discovery 360 run the ferry between Coromandel and Auckland. Due to a lack of users they may need to close this service in the future. So if you need another incentive to do this trip - due it for the local economy and keep the ferry afloat. Bookings can be made at www.360discovery.co.nz/coromandel-ferry-timetable.html
Accommodation
Miranda Holiday Park is an excellent place ideally located half way (79 km) to Coromandel. The park has camping sites, cabins and units. Staying in a cabin means you obviously don't need to carry a tent. Units also include bedding and towels further reducing what you will need to carry. The best part about this place is the excellent hot pool (which is better than the commercial hot pools next door). They also have a tennis court. This is definitely the best option for accommodation on this trip.
Food and drink
There is a small shop selling essentials at the Miranda Holiday Park. The Miranda Hot Pools next door have basic takeaways but if you want to self cater your best bet is the small store at Kaiaua (12 km before Miranda). At Orere Point there is a small store that provides snacks and takeaways and is a potential lunch option. On the morning of the second day you will be passing through Thames which has a wide range of shops, cafes and a supermarket.
Get out of town!
- Have a big breakfast and then catch the train from Britomart to Papakura (they run approximately every 30 minutes on a Saturday morning).
- Exit the train at Papakura, carry your bike up the stairs onto the overbridge and turn left. Follow the ramp down to the left off the overbridge (there are toilets here) and then ride down the road. Turn right onto Clevedon Road and follow the signs to Clevedon.
- After about 2km of riding through a residential area you will find yourself out in the country.
- The riding is pretty straightforward from here to the coast. From Clevedon follow the signs to Kawakawa Bay. This is where things get more interesting with a few hills and a nice downhill into the Bay. There are toilets and a small shop here.
- There is a steep hill climb as you leave Kawakawa Bay and head inland again. The road then winds its way through attractive farmland. Take the short detour to Orere Point (signposted) which has a good beach and a takeaway shop (a possible lunch spot).
- Once back on the main road there is an undulating section of road before you drop down to the Firth of Thames. From here the road follows the coast south.
- Kaiaua has a decent store, good ice creams and a famous fish and chip shop. From here it is 12km of flat to Miranda (follow the signposts).
- Miranda Holiday Park is signposted off to the right of the main road. It is a good spot with the highlight being the excellent hot pool. It is nicer than the commercial hot pools next door and of course it is free if you are staying here. Spend a few hours relaxing those tired muscles. The hot pool shuts at 10 pm. Miranda is 79 km from Auckland (following the route described) so will take between 3.5 - 4 hours of actual cycling.
Note: if you feel like a few beverages tonight don't rely on being able to buy them in Miranda. In the past we have purchased a few Lion Reds off the owners but it is probably a good idea to be better prepared than us.
Next morning
- The hot pool is open from 6:30 am if those muscles are still sore. When you are ready jump back on the bikes, ride back to the main road and turn right.
- The next section is a sweet flat quiet road but when you turn left onto highway 25 things get a little busier. Stay left. It is about 30 km from Miranda to Thames (including a crossing of the famous bridge at Kopu).
- Chequers Café in Thames is an excellent spot for a second breakfast/lunch before heading further up the coast.
- The road north of Thames follows the coastline as it winds northwards. There are lots of excellent places to stop and a few shops along the way. Be very careful, as this road is busy and also very narrow in places.
- Stock up on supplies in Tapu (about halfway up) as after this there are no more shops.
- When you see the road start heading up and away from the coast take a break. The next section is the hardest part of the ride. There are two big hills coming up. The first one (Kereta Hill 228m) has a great lookout and a sweet downhill to follow. However it is the second smaller hill (Manaia 181m) which is the real killer.
- As you descend the second hill look out for the road on the left just before the bottom of the hill. Follow this for a couple of kilometres to the end of the road where you will find Hannaford's wharf (the departure point for the ferry to Auckland). Note: while this is a picturesque spot to wait for the ferry there is nothing here in terms of shops or water. If you have time you could consider riding a further 12 km into Coromandel town (one way) which has a range of excellent cafes etc.. Just make sure you are back in time for the 4:30 pm departure. Most people are pretty tired by this stage so a better option is to make sure that you have saved some food and drink for after your ride.
- Miranda to Hannaford's wharf is approximately 84 km so will take most people about 4 hours to complete. Remember the last hills are big so even if you are way ahead of schedule things will slow down when you start going up.
Heading for Home
Grab a beer on the ferry and enjoy the two hour trip back to Auckland. If you manage to get this far you will have ridden over 160 km and deserve to kick back and relax. Well done.
We hope you had a great trip - we have certainly enjoyed this one in the past. Make sure you come back and add comments on the following tab - 'Visitor Comments'.
This trip is a reasonably serious undertaking so make sure you and your bike are up for it.
Bike Hire:
Obviously a key component to this trip is having a bike. If you don't own one you can easily hire one. Probably the easiest way to do this is to contact
Adventure Cycles (080024538687)
. This is a small local business (Western Springs) which rents out secondhand bikes. While they may not look flash they are solid and reliable. Each bike comes with a helmet, lock, tool kit and water bottle. Expect to pay $20 per day for a touring bike. Adventure Cycles also buy and sell bikes.
What to take
- A bike
- Pump
- Spare tube
- Puncture repair kit
- Tools
- Snacks
- Water bottles
- Raincoat
- Sun block
- First aid kit
- Swimming gear
- Clothes for cycling
- Warmer clothes for evening & ferry ride
- Sleeping bag (if you need one)
- Tent and sleeping mat (if you intend to camp)
- A map
Don’t forget
You will need to carry everything on the bike so pack light. Either use a carrier and strap you gear on the back (or maybe a stylish basket on the front - sweet!) or take everything in a small backpack. Note: you will find it much easier to ride without having too much on your shoulders so attach as much gear as you can to the bike.
