Coromandel

Introduction

Coromandel is a small town along the westcoast of the Coromandel Peninsula on New Zealand's North Island. The town has about 1,500 inhabitants, many of whom make a living in the tourism sector. It's popular among both New Zealanders as well as foreigners and there are plenty of nearby attractions.

Sights and Activities

Most of the attractions are outside town, which functions as a base to explore the region. Nevertheless, there are some nice cafes, restaurants (try the mussles!) and art and craft shops in town.

Getting There

By Bus

Intercity operates buses to Thames and Whitianga, both about one hour away.

By Boat

360 Discovery has 4 weekly boats between Coromandel and Auckland, stopping also in Orapiu on Waiheke Island. It's 2 hours one-way to Auckland, 70 minutes to Orapiu.

Sleep

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

Most areas have dedicated PostShops, however stamps can also be bought at grocery shops, supermarkets and book stores. There are two main formats for domestic mail, namely Standard Post and Fast Post. Fast Post is used next day delivery between major towns and cities (two days from rural areas), whereas Standard Post will take a few working days to deliver nationwide. Standard costs NZ$0.40 for letters/postcards (NZ$0.80 for larger envelopes), Fast Post costs NZ$0.80 (NZ$1.20 for larger envelopes). International mail takes about 3-6 days to Australia (NZ$1.50), and 6-12 days to Europe, Asia and the United States (NZ$2). Post boxes are white, red and black and can be found in many areas throughout towns and cities, including information about when their contents are collected. Most post offices and smaller post shops have opening hours from 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday, and 9:00am to 12:30pm on Saturday. You can buy stamps here, or at newsagents and general stores. For parcels, you can use the NZ Post or otherwise courier companies like TNT, DHL, UPS or FedEx.