Whitianga Overview

Extending east across the peninsula, the coastline softens from mud and rocks into sandy beaches, where Whitianga (fit-ee-ANG-guh; pop. 3700) is almost lost among the dunes. Recent development and an influx of travelers and residents have better established the town as a regional hub and destination. With a relaxed vibe interrupted by weekend arrivals from Auckland, Whitianga has become Coromandel’s main resort town.

Transportation. InterCity (☎623 1503) buses leave the Whitianga i-Site for Thames (1hr.; 2 per day; $33, backpackers $28, students and seniors $26) with a connection to Auckland (1hr.; 2 per day; $57, backpackers $48, students and seniors $45) via Whenuakite, Tairua, and Hikuai. To get to Whangamata, try Go Kiwi (☎0800 446 549 or 866 0336; www.go-kiwi.co.nz), which departs daily at 7:30am (1hr., $33). Otherwise, take the InterCity bus through Waihi, a much more circuitous route. Also runs to Auckland ($48), Rotorua ($70) and Coromandel ($21). Mercury Bay Taxis (☎866 5643) will also run to Coromandel town for about $100 per van (11-person max. Cash only.) Book bus transport at the Whitianga i-Site (see below) or through United Travel/Travel Options, 75 Albert St. (☎866 4397. Open M-F 9am-5pm.) Whitianga Water Transport sends shuttles to Ferry Landing. (☎866 5472. 5-10min., daily 7:30am-10:30pm, $4 round-trip.) The Bike Man, 16 Coghill St. (☎866 0745), is a pedal purveyor (Full-day $25. Includes helmet and lock. AmEx/MC/V.)

Orientation And Practical Information. Whitianga sits where Mercury Bay’s beach meets Whitianga Harbour. SH25 newly bypasses the town, becoming part of Buffalo Beach Road, north of town along the beach. Going south into town, Buffalo Beach Rd. merges with Albert Street, the main drag. The Whitianga i-Site, 66 Albert St., produces a brochure packed with information about the Mercury Bay area. It also offers Internet access. (☎866 5555; www.whitianga.co.nz. Internet $3 per 15min. Open Dec.-Jan. daily 8am-6pm. Feb.-Nov. M-F 9am-5pm, Sa-Su 9am-4pm.) So does Inter-earth, on Blacksmith Ln. (☎866 5991. $3.60 per 30min. Open M-F 9am-9pm, Sa 10am-7pm, Su 10am-5pm.) Baywash Laundromat, 15 Monk St., charges $8 for self-service wash and dry (☎866 2288. Open daily 9am-9pm.) Other services include: Westpac Trust, with an ATM, on Albert St. (☎866 4532; open M-Tu and Th-F 9am-4:30pm, W 9:30am-4:30pm); the police, at 3 Campbell St. (☎866 4000; open M-F 8am-4pm); Mercury Bay Medical Centre, at Albert and Owen St. (☎866 5911; open M-F 8:30am-5pm, Sa 9-11am); Mercury Bay Pharmacy next door (☎866 4592; open M-F 8:30am-5:30pm); the post office, 72 Albert St. (☎866 4006. Open M-F 8:30am-5pm).

Accommodations And Camping. In a stout converted motel about 1km from downtown, On the Beach Backpacker’s Lodge (BBH/YHA) , 46 Buffalo Beach Rd., scores points for location. The enthusiastic owners joke with guests and provide a courtesy van, as well as free kayaks, fishing rods, boogie boards, and shovels for Hot Water Beach. (☎866 5380; www.coromandelbackpackers.com. Reception 7am-7pm. $20 key deposit. Bike rental $20 per day. Dorms $24; twins and doubles $58, with bath $86. MC/V.) Near town is The Cat’s Pyjamas Backpackers Lodge , 4 Monk St., off Albert St. Ask Buster, the affable owner, about scenic flights in his single-prop plane. A former retirement home, The Cat’s Pyjamas makes you feel as if you’ve been there for years. (☎866 4663; www.cats-pyjamas.co.nz. $20 key deposit. Free boogie board use. Bike rental $20 per day. Reception daily 7am-8pm. Dorms $21; twins and doubles $48. Tent sites $12. MC/V.) Bay Watch Backpackers (VIP) , 22 The Esplanade, is along the bay beyond where Buffalo Beach Rd. turns into Albert St. (☎866 5481; www.whitianga.co.nz. Bikes available. Dorms $23; doubles and twins $60; motel units $65-140. MC/V.) The Mercury Bay Motor Camp , 121 Albert St., is 500m south of the town center with standard motor park amenities. (☎866 5579. Reception 8am-8:30pm. Camping shower $0.10 per min. Tent and caravan sites $12. Dorms $18. Cash only.)

Food And Nightlife. Visit 4 Square, 3 Albert St., for groceries. (☎866 5702. Open daily 7am-8pm.) The New World, 1 Joan Gaskell Rd., on the outskirts of town, is a bit better stocked. (☎867 1900. Open daily 8am-8pm.) A block from busy Albert St.,  Cafe Nina , 20 Victoria St., is a perfect reprieve. The muffins melt in your mouth, and the lunch menu (from $13) always has veggie options. (☎866 5440. Open daily 8am-3pm. MC/V.) The Fire Place , 9 The Esplanade, across from the wharf, is the spot to splurge; the older locals seem to. Brick-oven pizzas ($20) are especially good. (☎866 4828. Open daily 11:30am-late, in winter M-F 11:30am-2pm and 5:30-9pm, Sa-Su 11:30am-9pm. AmEx/MC/V.) The Whitianga Marina Hotel, 1 Blacksmith Ln., has two options. For the backpacker set, The Blacksmith’s Kitchen , 47 Albert St., is a diner based around the age old idea that breakfast is the best meal; sandwiches ($3-6.50) are just a distraction from the real deal, served all day. (☎866 5669. Open daily 6am-4pm. MC/V.)

Sights And Outdoor Activities. There’s no reason to stay indoors in Whitianga. Cross the river and take the path to the small Scenic Reserve on the right. Follow the water up to the 24m bluff of Whitianga Rock, an old Maori pa (fortified village), from which stone for the old landing wharf was taken. Gorgeous views reward those who walk from Ferry Landing up to the Shakespeare Lookout, named for a resemblance to the Bard; you can also drive on highway 25 (40min.) The walk follows along Front Beach to the crescent of Flaxmill Bay and climbs from the sign on the pohutukawa tree at the far end. The view from the top includes a glimpse of Lonely Bay. Isolated from unsightly buildings and roads, the cove’s golden sands and turquoise surf are accessible by boat or by the steep footpath down from Shakespeare Lookout. The next beach over is Cooks Beach, a shallow 3km stretch. Buffalo Beach, directly on the shores of Whitianga, is named for the HMS Buffalo, which wrecked in 1840 while collecting kauri for England. In order to explore the area on the other side of the harbor, rent a bike either in town or at Ferry Landing and ride out to Hahei and Hot Water Beach. Intensely blue water draws most people to the Mercury Bay area. With Cathedral Cove Marine Reserve nearby and the Mercury Bay Islands off the coast, water activities include windsurfing, kayaking, and cruising. Whitianga also has some of New Zealand’s best big-game fishing from December to March.

For a thrill, venture just south of the junction between SH25 and the 309 Rd. to High Zone, 49 Kaimarama Rd. New owners Penny and Geoff have turned the immaculate colonial house into a B&B, but the main event remains in their front yard: the nine different ropes course activities, 12m above the ground. The 14m free-falling high swing gives your adrenal glands a workout. (☎866 2113; www.highzone.co.nz. High swing $15. 3-activity combo $40. Full course $60. Cash only.) From Whitianga, hop aboard the Cave Cruzer, which jaunts to the bays and stops for a musical experience in giant sea caves. Captain Bob also has fishing trips, snorkeling trips, group picnics, and island tours. (☎866 2275 or 0800 427 893; www.cavecruiser.co.nz. Departs in summer 9, 10:30am, 2, 6pm. $30-50.) The Glass Bottom Boat explores the marine reserve and gives visitors an onboard mask into the depths below. (☎867 1962; www.glassbottomboatwhitianga.co.nz. $75, backpackers $65, children $40. MC/V.) Exercise your artistic fingers at Bay Carving, on the Esplanade opposite the wharf beside the museum. The metamorphosis from paper to polished pendant in 3hr. is satisfying, particularly for the otherwise talentless. (☎866 4021; www.baycarving.com. Designs and tutelage from $40. Classes 10am-4pm. Call ahead.) Next door, the Mercury Bay Regional Museum displays shipwreck artifacts and details Maori history. The nature exhibit showcases a 7 ft. stuffed emu, among other flightless birds. (☎866 0730. Open daily 10am-4pm. $5, under 15 $0.50.) Twin Oaks, 9km north of town on the road to Kuaotunu, takes horseback riders of any level. (☎866 5388; www.twinoaksridingranch.co.nz. 2hr. $35. Cash only.) Kauri Connections leads 5hr. guided tours up the 309 Rd. to the Kauri Grove, Waiau Waterfall, Castle Rock, and Egan Park. (☎027 682 9294. $45.)