Gold was found near Coromandel in 1852, the first payable gold found anywhere in New Zealand, and for a few years the little town on the western side of the Coromandel Peninsula boomed with miners and dreamers. The rush did not last, but the town survived, and today it is a laid-back place of wooden villas, artists' studios and fish shops on the edge of a sheltered harbour, with steep forested hills behind and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf scattered across the water in front.
The peninsula is a long, rugged spine of volcanic hills covered in native forest, with surf beaches on the east and quiet bays on the west. In the forest grow kauri, giant native trees that were heavily logged in the nineteenth century; some survivors still stand in protected groves. Mussel farms dot the harbours, and Coromandel is known for smoked mussels and fish, sold in shops and cafes around town.
For riders, the roads here are among the best in New Zealand's North Island. State Highway 25 follows the Thames coast north from Thames along the shore, with the sea on one side and pohutukawa trees on the other, which flower bright red around Christmas, then climbs over the hills into Coromandel town on a steep, winding road with superb views. From Coromandel, the route continues over the ranges to Whitianga on the east coast, and the 309 Road, a narrow gravel shortcut through the forest, passes a waterfall and a stand of kauri trees along the way, though it is unsealed and best left to adventure bikes or careful riders.
The roads are narrow and twisting, with blind corners, steep climbs and descents, and slips after heavy rain. Watch out for campervans, logging trucks and tourists driving slowly on the wrong side of the road. Weather changes quickly on the peninsula, and rain can be heavy.
Coromandel has cafes, restaurants, a supermarket and fuel, and it makes a perfect lunch stop. Thames, about forty kilometres south, is the nearest larger town. On a sunny day, a plate of fish and chips or smoked mussels eaten by the harbour, looking out over the islands, is one of the simple pleasures of the North Island.