Pristine coastlines, hidden coves and glistening horizons. A uniquely Kiwi hiking and tasting experience through the COROMANDEL region.
Overview: 7 days, 51km
With its charismatic personality, white sand beaches, turquoise waters and lush
sub-tropical valleys, the Coromandel peninsula might just steal your heart away. Scenic pathways lead to peaceful coves and far-reaching horizons as we explore every corner.
Explore the rolling coastlines and rainforests before climbing up to the Pinnacles, a bucket-list walk, on our final day of hiking. Your work is rewarded by magnificent panoramic views of the Coromandel region at the top.
Relax with New Zealand wine and fresh seasonal food each night in our boutique lodges exclusively for our group. We base ourselves at each lodge for two nights so you have time to unpack and take in your surroundings.
Meet the makers of local artisan produce, hear their stories, connect with them and taste the flavours they are proud to pour their heart and soul into.
Our local, passionate guides are our secret ingredient, sharing stories of the lands, connecting you with nature and each other.
Departures
Small groups, maximum of 8
Tours depart Sundays and return Saturday
Rates pp are double/twin share
If your preferred travel dates don't match our tour dates, get in touch and we will see what we can do - hello@natureandnosh.co.nz
Walking highlights
Explore the Karangahake gorge that divides the Coromandel Peninsula from the Bay of Plenty
Wander around stretches of pristine turquoise coastline on the 9km Homunga Bay to Waihi through walk
Visit the Wentworth Valley and view the tiered falls
Hike the coastal headlands of the peninsula on the Coastal Walkway or a private walk boasting 360 degree harbour, coastal and mountain range views
Hike the world-class Pinnacles trail, steeped in history
Walk one of the finest remaining Kauri groves in a diverse ecological area.
Tasting highlights
Gin: Meet the maker of small batch, award-winning New Zealand gin, peek behind closed doors
Private chef cooked meal for your first night
Visit a macadamia farm for a talk and tasting (mmm brittle, dukkah)
Seafood: Taste world-famous mussels, oysters and fresh fish at Coromandel Town
Exclusive 'Art of Foraging' tour, a celebration of land and season, taste the forest
Locally roasted Pinnacles coffee to fuel your hiking
The Nature & Nosh formula
Join us for a walking and foodie tour all in one! The perfect match.
Small groups with a maximum of 8.
No heavy packs! Carry a small daypack only for your lunch, water and camera.
Genuinely all-inclusive...from start to finish.
Exclusive boutique accommodation, for our groups only.
Local expert guides sharing stories along the way.
Itinerary
Itinerary
Day One: Sunday
5km (3 miles) / 1.5 - 2 hours hiking (easy grade)
Dramatic scenery with a golden history
We will collect you from Auckland around mid-morning before heading to the historic Karangahake Gorge where many a prospector tried their luck during the turn of the century gold rush. A gentle start and chance to stretch your legs on this short walk with stunning views of the Waitewheta river and dramatic gorge that divides the Coromandel Peninsula from the Bay of Plenty region. With our first walk under our belt, we head to our secluded hilltop Orokawa Bay Retreat where we will be based for the first two nights. Relax with a drink in hand or in the hot tub and take in the panoramic ocean views as you get to know the group you will be making memories with this week. Tonight's meal is prepared by our local chef, with a menu designed especially for Nature & Nosh with fresh, seasonal produce.
Day Two: Monday
9km (5.5 miles) / 4-5 hours hiking (medium grade)
The epitome of charm and a touch of gin
Enjoy breakfast with a view this morning before we head five minutes down the road for our through-walk from Homunga Bay to Waihi Beach. With a gentle downhill to start, feast your eyes upon the white sand beaches, coastal rainforests, turquoise coloured water and magnificent Pohutakawa trees as we wind our way around three bays, stopping for a gourmet picnic lunch on the beach. The perfect blend of hills to get your appetite up, shady flats to cool you down and views that make you want to slow down and take it all in. Bursting out at the northern end of Waihi Beach, take a chance to cool off in the surf before heading back to our lodge for some down time. Before dinner at the lodge tonight, we are invited behind the scenes at Kaimai Distilling for a chat with local brewer turned distiller who boasts a number of awards with his 'Eliza's Claim' gin - note the interesting gold twist!
Day Three: Tuesday
6km (3.8 miles) / 2 hours hiking (easy grade)
Chasing waterfalls, macadamias, coffee and captivating coastlines
Today we make our way up the eastern side of the peninsula soaking up the incredible coastal scenery and breaking up our journey with many stops along the way. Our walk this morning is an easy graded one through native forest to the picturesque Wentworth waterfall and abandoned gold mines. Further north, meet our lovely friend Jillian from Cathedral Cove Macadamias and hear about this family-run business while sampling some treats! A visit to Shakespeare's Cliff for a view of the coastline that captivated Captain Cook, and a short ferry ride over to the seaside town of Whitianga for some coffee and a wander around the shops or beach. Over the hill to the western-side of the peninsula we arrive at our Coromandel Town lodge for the next two nights. This warm rustic retreat is nestled into the hillside with views of the Hauraki Gulf and spaces designed with a footprint-conscious ethos.
Day Four: Wednesday
15km (9 miles) / 6 - 7 hours hiking (medium grade)
Spectacular vistas and twinkling bays
Boots on as we take on the coastal walkway today, at the most northern and remote tip of the peninsula. The track, an old bridle path formed by early pioneers boasts some of the most spectacular coastal scenery of the trip. We wind our way through Kanuka forest and pristine sub-tropical bush discovering twinkling bays along the way. Passing beneath the shadow of Mt Moehau, the track follows an easy gradient with a short steep section into and out of Poley Bay. From here, you will head on to farmland with views of Great Barrier Island. Back at the lodge Lodge, relax in the hot tub or explore their private bush trail and waterfall. Dinner at the lodge tonight over some beautiful New Zealand wines and shared hiking yarns.
Day Five: Thursday
5km (3 miles) / 2.5 hours hiking (easy grade)
Seafood lovers dream, walk among the giants of the forest
Relish in a leisurely morning, enjoy a coffee, stroll through Coromandel Town, renown for it's local artists and visit the quaint Waiau Falls. Lunch showcases the freshest seafood the peninsula has to offer - with plenty of choices to suit all palates. We make our way down the peninsula with one of the most stunning coastal drives in New Zealand. The afternoon brings a gentle walk to see one of the finest remaining Kauri groves (giants of the forest) up close at Waiomu. Regenerating forest hosts new life, covered in moss beneath the canopy. Our locally hosted Mangotahi lodge is nestled in the stunning Kauaeranga Valley and has a beautiful deck with valley views, where a glass of wine or two could be enjoyed before dinner.
Day Six: Friday
14km (8.7 miles) / 7-8 hours hiking (hard grade)
A walk to remember
We substitute coastal views today for spectacular craggy terrain on the popular but challenging Pinnacles hike. A gentle warm up follows the Kauaeranga river, crossing a swing bridge and following an old pack horse track from the Kauri logging days. Traversing through groves of nikau palms, huge rata trees, and across streams, we make our way up to the Hut over three hours, enjoying ridge line views of our Pinnacles destination as we break-out from the bush line. The last section of the track leading to the jagged summit of the Pinnacles is steep and requires some scrambling, but for those up for the challenge the reward is magnificent panoramic views. Those who prefer to spend time at the hut and not summit are welcome to. After lunch, we head back down the track and it's a short drive back to Mangotahi Lodge to put our feet up and enjoy a celebratory glass of bubbles and meal on our last night together.
Day Seven: Saturday
1km forest wander. Transfer day. Arrive back in Auckland approx 3pm
A celebration of land and season
After a delicious cooked breakfast we pack up and head back towards Auckland for a final trip highlight. Visiting a private, regenerating forest ‘Velskov’ - Danish for ‘The forest that is well’, we are hosted on an exclusive wild foraging tour around the property, before enjoying a lunch featuring our foraged ingredients and forest infused tea. Our host Mamakan is a botanical artist and foraging expert and helps to facilitate a different view of the native bush we have been spending our week walking through. A fine way to finish a fulfilling week of exploring, exchanging stories with the new group of friends made. Short transfer back to Auckland.
Note: This itinerary should be seen as a guide only and is subject to change at any time due to elements outside our control. We will always endeavour to stick as closely to this itinerary as possible to deliver the best experience to you. The above doesn't detail all 'Nosh' experiences in full as we like to keep some things a surprise!
Reviews
"It’s hard to put into words the benefits of combining the two best things you can do in the great outdoors - stretch the legs and have a good “nosh up”. Having said that, Kylie has got it spot on. The 7 day Coastal Charm trip we recently participated in was excellent - Rose the alpha leader was on the ball 24/7, totally organised, full of local knowledge and extremely capable at hosting us both on the track and at the table.
Kylie came out to visit us and keep the wheels turning, and both the sights and eateries of the Coromandel Peninsula kept excelling themselves each day. Pretty hard to get a better combination! As a bonus, the accommodation each night was, literally, brilliant. Two nights at each gives the bonus of been able to unpack, but the highlight has to be the fantastic catering each night coupled with the amazing locations - views right out over the Pacific ocean and listening to the kiwis in the bush around the cabins are only scratching the surface of the ambience of the selected locations. Hard to see how this could be bettered..."
- Gerard and Barb, Victoria, Australia
Inclusions
Return transfers from central Auckland.
Comfortable and spacious transport with air conditioning.
Professional guide with local knowledge and stories facilitating your food and flavour trail
Premium boutique lodges, exclusively for our groups
ALL meals. Cooked and continental breakfast options, nutritious and uniquely kiwi packed lunches, local cheese and antipasto platters, two-course evening meals
New Zealand wine, beer and non-alcoholic drinks served with evening meals.
Two cafe coffee stops
Nature & Nosh enamel trail mug to keep
Delicious food experiences unique to Nature and Nosh Tours (our secret ingredient!) including:
Behind the scenes gin distillery talk and tasting
Private chef cooked meal on night one
Meet the maker - macadamia farm visit
Cafe lunch on day 5 featuring fresh Coromandel seafood
Private 'Art of Foraging' experience
First aid kits, safety equipment and all your fresh New Zealand drinking water.
What's not included
Airfares.
Personal hiking gear such as boots, clothing, poles and day packs. We do have some day packs and walking poles available to borrow, please enquire
Travel insurance. We recommend all of our tour guests take out travel insurance.
Single supplement fee NZ $850 for single travellers wanting their own room (maximum of 2 single supplements available per trip)
Grading
Grade
Moderate (with one harder graded walk on our final day).
3 – 8 hours of hiking per day. We've curated our walks over the week to offer a balance of a shorter or easier walk, followed by a longer walk, followed by a shorter walk for the best flow and experience.
Altitude gains of up to 600m (2000ft) on the last day.
Carrying a small personal day backpack for your personal gear such as water,
lunch and a rain jacket.
Track conditions
Track surfaces on our Coastal Charm tour vary, and are on a mix of well maintained paths, farm tracks, classic 'kiwi-style' tramping tracks with more rugged terrain where you will be walking over tree roots, mud and rocks. You will get the most out of this tour if you have a good level of fitness and some hiking experience. Our guides ensure that the pace is dictated by the group and allow plenty of time for short breaks for water, refreshments, photos and interesting stories on the way. For us, it's about the journey, not the destination.
See our training guide for preparation tips.
Our Nature
We've carefully hand selected our combination of public and private tracks throughout the Coromandel and heart of the North Island for their beauty, diversity of terrain and landscapes, flora, special features and conservation values. We think you'll be hard-pressed to find a hiking tour with more diversity in a relatively small geographical area. The programme of day walks on this tour is designed to have a mix of easier, medium and harder graded walks, with no two hard walks back to back, giving your legs a chance to recover to make the most of this hiking tour. Some of our tracks are well-known and are too scenic to leave off our tours, others are so secret that not even the locals know about them!
Our Nosh
After a day spent exploring, gather over a view and enjoy a lovingly prepared warm meal, featuring fresh, local ingredients. While the wine and conversation flow, everyday life is left behind. Breakfast is an option of cooked or continental to fuel you properly for your day of hiking. Lunches are freshly packed for you in the mornings and we have plenty of snacks for the journey. Evening meals are prepared with fresh Coromandel flavours and are served with a selection of New Zealand wine or beer. Our 'Nosh' experiences include tastings at our favourite spots on the coast as detailed in the inclusions above.
Our Accomodation
We stay in premium boutique-style lodges, reserved only for our Nature & Nosh groups. Each are tucked away in private and picturesque settings. Lodge 1 and 2 feature ensuite rooms, where the final two nights at lodge 3 have shared bathroom facilities between 2 - 4 people. Single supplement is available for those travellers wanting their own rooms. When the weather permits, we have meals outside and take in the beautiful bush and sea views. Each of our lodges have special 'wow' factors, in the form of views, private bush tracks, hot tubs, private decks or local hosts.
Photos
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