A Hidden Paradise in Whiritoa, New Zealand

Several weeks ago I landed in Whiritoa (remember, wh together makes an f sound). Many eons ago, before I left for my New Zealand adventure, I thought I might need a bit of a break after 6 weeks of traveling with a backpack, buying a car, then traveling with a car. So I booked an AirBnB Room. To fit my AirBnB stay into my budget (equal to or less than 35 USD per night), I booked for a month (getting a good discount for doing so!).

On Google Maps, Whiritoa looks like a beach town at the very bottom of the Coromandel Peninsula on the east coast. As I drove in through 16 kilometers of windy S-curves and 180-degree switchbacks, and then entered the town, I realized that I had been wrong. This was no town. Rather, it was a collection of a few hundred houses clustered around the beach. A single cafe provided snacks and a few staples (bread, butter, milk), but anything beyond would require the twenty minute trek into town.

I wondered where the hell I had just based myself for the next month.

The answer: paradise.

Whiritoa

The first day I took a stroll along the beach. Unlike Piha, where a vast band of black sand divided the waves and the dunes, Whiritoa Beach is narrow and steep in places, and very quiet. Tucked between two small cliffs and buffeted by small but forceful waves, it feels intimate. At one end, waves carve away the soft cliff face that sports carvings of indeterminable age. On the other, an estuary cuts a circle around a mound of cliff and slippery rocks create a stage that only the most sure-footed can navigate. An ankle-deep wade through the cold water and a short climb produce another beach tucked among the trees.

So the beach is beautiful, the village is quiet, but the real star of the show are my AirBnB hosts.

If you’re unfamiliar with AirBnB Rooms, it’s a feature on AirBnB where instead of renting a whole house from someone, you just rent a room in their house and share the other facilities. My hosts surprised me by giving me access to a small suite on their first floor: not just a private room, but also a private bathroom, living room, and kitchenette. In addition, they provide breakfast every morning, so I simply walk up the stairs to a beautiful spread of fresh-baked bread, jams, and homemade yogurt with granola.

And yet…the ability to hang up my clothes instead of live out of a backpack, the private space to retreat to, the walking from the shower to my bedroom without putting on clothes…all of that pales in comparison to my hosts.

Generous. Kind. Interesting. Funny.

I feel like part of the family almost instantly, and suddenly the four weeks I’m here in Whiritoa seem to shrink, and I know it will be difficult to leave, to detangle my life from theirs even though it’s only been a short time.

The Surrounds

I chose Whiritoa as my base for the month primarily because of the price and my host’s superhost status (which is clearly well deserved), but also for the location. I wasn’t thinking of the small town, or even what was nearby. I knew I had to stay for a month (to fit my budget), so I planted myself smack-dab between the Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Plenty, two geographic regions in the North Island that I had heard many good things about. Of course, that meant a one hour drive minimum in either direction to get to the main tourist areas of each region.

The prospect of this daily drive was feeling extremely daunting when I rolled out of bed on my first day, and I reflected that, perhaps, I had made a mistake in not centering myself where the activities were and instead choosing to be on the periphery.

However, what I came to realize quite quickly, is that, somehow, I plopped myself down in a village merely half an hour from an absolute wealth of beautiful things to do. It might not boast Cathedral Cove (which is currently closed anyway) or Glow Worm Kayaking (which I found out was not that great) or Hobbiton (which I’m saving until they open their newest addition in December), but it has more offerings concentrated in the half hour perimeter than any other location in the two regions. At least, more offerings that appeal to me.

The Sea

Whiritoa Beach

I spent many mornings and afternoons walking in the bright white sand of Whiritoa Beach as it was only a three minute walk to the beach from my AirBnB. Like most of the New Zealand east coast beaches I’ve seen, it’s capped on either end by white cliffs crowned with greenery. At the south end, I found an area where the sea has beaten away at the cliff face to open a wide doorway flanked by high rocks. It was here that I was gifted a mussel (the same way Moana was gifted the Heart of Te Fiti in the Disney movie Moana), which you can read about in my post The Lone Mussel: a Seaside Adventure in Whiritoa. I’ll leave it up to you to decide if this means I’m a Disney princess.

At the other end, I wade through an estuary of chilly water and clamber onto the smooth, flat rocks that spread like a dais around the rising hump of cliff. And that’s the one and only time I do that! The rocks are super slippery, coated with a thin and almost invisible layer of algae that sends me to my knees instantly.

So instead I walk in the sand, following the estuary away from the sea and around the curve of the earth. There’s a collection of swings and a trail leading up the cliff. I follow it up and then descend to another bay. This part of the country is, it seems, spotted with picturesque beaches. In the summer months, if one beach is busy, just walk over the cliff at the end to find another!

Donut Island

Homunga Bay

One of my favorite hikes during my first two months in New Zealand is definitely Waihi Beach to Homunga Bay. After parking at the north end of Waihi beach and crossing a short distance of sandy beach, the track climbs up into the hills. It follows the coastline up and down as the cliffs swell and crest like ocean waves, but the native bush blocks a complete view of the turquoise sea. However, when the trees do open up, the ocean beyond and the glimpses straight down the cliff-side into the clear water of numerous hidden bays and alcoves shows sapphire water against pale cliffs.

The track eventually drops into Okawara Beach where giant trees rise in a dramatic backdrop agains the secluded sandy beach and several stream crossings sport tall banks, root scrambles, and curves of driftwood smoothed by the wind and waves.

The trail continues, undulating up and down and squiggling in and out with the uneven coastline. At some point, the bush drops away and I am left standing upon an open cliff looking down the coast. A small gorge runs down to the water and a flimsy looking bridge carries me over it, up a slope of rock, and finally, around the bend and into Homunga Bay.

The beach here is a tight curve and very secluded. Waves surge playfully up the beach and a small waterfall cascades down the rocks to sputter onto the sand. It was a rewarding destination to a spectacularly beautiful and interesting hike.

The Falls

Wentworth Falls

Only fifteen minutes from Whiritoa is the track for Wentworth Falls. The trail wends through a forested valley along a river, then ascends quickly to reach the falls.

As I always like to do my uphill first, I hiked to the top of the falls before heading to the middle lookout, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found I was actually looking at a double waterfall!

Wharekarauponga Track

I loved this track, found near Whangamatā, partly for it’s charming meander along a pretty stream, but also because it boasts a short tunnel and a beautiful waterfall which can only be seen from a narrow swing bridge over a picturesque gorge. I’m going to let the photos do the talking!

William Wright Falls

This is my favorite waterfall in the area, and not just because it branches off from the Homunga Bay Track (which is my favorite track in the area).

After a few minutes of normal, dirt walking trail, the track brought me to a bend in a river. As I contemplated my path across over the rocks, a Kiwi (New Zealander, not the bird) emerged out of the bush and scampered across the river. “The waterfall is so worth it,” he said, and then ducked around me and disappeared as though I’d merely imagined it. As I’d encountered no one else on the Homunga Bay track for the past hour, it caught me completely by surprise, but it was a sign from the universe–one I’d return to several times as I searched for William Wright Falls.

The warning on the sign at the beginning of the track was quite accurate in that the trail was not well marked, unless, I suppose, you consider that the trail was extremely well marked by the steep banks of the river. Because, as I discovered, the trail IS essentially the river.

Only fifteen paces after I crossed the river bend and followed the track on the other bank, it deposited me back to the river with no continuing track on the other side. I stood for several minutes, eyes tracing the bank and brain wondering if I should run after the apparition of the Kiwi man and ask him where to go. I really didn’t want to scrap the whole thing because he’d given it such a glowing recommendation. Then, I spotted a footprint in the loose pebbles along the bank. So I followed.

What followed was stepping from rock to rock and crossing from bank to bank for the next half an hour. Every time I paused and wondered what the hell I was doing, I would spot another footprint, like the universe was urging me on every time I faltered. I wasn’t too worried about finding my way back if this did turn out to be nothing because I would only need to turn around and follow the river down.

So, instead, I enjoyed the freedom and exploration of it all. Following a beautiful stream, in the stream, with a clear path of stepping stones. I went through patches of still water, climbed over mini waterfalls, held on to tree roots to follow a narrow stone bank. It was magical and enchanting, and not at all scary because I found a footprint every thirty paces or so, reassuring me that I was on the right path and that I hadn’t strayed into some other realm, even though it felt like a distinct possibility.

In two places, the river branched, and I was very glad to see the footprints I’d been following and an orange trail marker at each of these intersections, so the DOC hadn’t abandoned me out here with no guidance after all!

At the second marker, the river changed from a rocky, pebbled stream bed to one massive rock carved out by the water, and when I reached the falls a few minutes later, they too cascaded down a giant, mineral rich rock face.

The Gold

The Coromandel area was a hotspot for gold mining in New Zealand in the 19th and 20th centuries, and much of it was centered around Waihi and the Karangahake Gorge. The tracks and trails in the area embrace that golden heritage and make it easy to explore the history and delight in the remnants of the mining operations.

Pit Mine Walk

Smack in the middle of Waihi and easily reachable from the town’s downtown is the Marth Pit Mine Rim Walk. This, like many pit mines, seems like a big scar on the surface of a beautiful landscape, but not only does it show the beautiful kaleidoscope of mineral-rich rock hiding beneath the green forests of the Coromandel, it also boasts some impressive history. In the 19th century, when it was still an underground mine with over 175 kilometers of tunnels on 15 different levels, it was one of the most important gold and silver mines in the world. At it’s peak, over 1,500 people were employed in the mine or at the Victoria Battery, where gold ore was crushed and processed.

Today, it’s still in use (though as a pit mine rather than underground mine) and the city has attempted to embrace the giant mine with a walking trail around the outside. Lined with gardens and information boards, the walk only has the occasional glimpse through the chain link fence into the vast pit, but it’s a nice walk and fascinating piece of history.

Karangahake Gorge

The gold and silver from the Martha Mine had to go somewhere, so a railroad was built through Karangahake Gorge just a few miles from Waihi to connect the town, and the mine, to the rest of the island. Gold was also found all through the gorge and many mines delved deep into the steep hills. Buildings sprung up and the Victoria Battery was constructed, as well as several other batteries and a pump house, all necessary to break down ore and create bullion blocks to more easily transport the precious metal. A mix of trails leads through these old buildings while another one goes along the gorge, sometimes staying completely tucked away in the foliage and other times dropping down to the clear, fast-flowing water.

I came to this area twice, once to do the walks, and once to bike the old railway trail, called the Hauraki Rail Trail.

Loop Track and Partial Windows Walk

The Windows Walk and the Gorge Loop Track were both partially closed due to storm damage and instability in the tunnels, so I just explored the parts that were open. The Windows Walk lead through thick forest to rail carts, the pumphouse, and several old buildings. The Gorge Loop dropped down to the clear blue water spotted with massive boulders.

Dickey Flats Falls

This hike is usually accessible from the gorge, but because of the slips, I had to access it the back way. That means the tunnel wasn’t optional!

Thankfully, I brought my headlamp to make it through the 180 meter long mine tunnel. It turned out that the tunnel was the star of the show because it was really difficult to see the falls as they were far away and partially tucked around a bend in the river.

Karangahake Mountain Walk

From the gorge, it’s possible to string two tracks together and hike to the top of Karangahake Mountain. Most of the track is an old 4WD drive road with a steady, leg-burning ascent, but the views over the Coromandel, south to Te Aroha, and down over the gorge are breathtaking.

Hauraki Rail Trail Ride

The Hauraki Rail Trail is actually a five day long cycle trail from Thames to Matamata, but I only biked the 24 km part between Waihi and Paeroa, which includes farmland and winding through the Karangahake Gorge. I biked out and back, so tackled about 30 miles on a mostly flat gravel path. Being the off season, I encountered very few other riders and instead got the trail, and it’s beautiful views, to myself.

The bright blue water of the river winding through the emerald green fields was striking, and I especially enjoyed biking over the several bridges that criss-crossed the gorge. I took a few breaks, including one to see a waterfall just off the trail.

At one point, the trail enters a 1km long train tunnel where the temperature dropped and my skin began to crawl. Pedaling along a dimly lit path of unchanging scenery made me feel like I wasn’t actually moving and suddenly the numerous tons of rock overhead were unforgettable! The one kilometer (which doesn’t seem that long usually) felt endless!

The only hiccup in my ride was that I may have had a little crash… But that’s between me and and the gorge!

A Home Away From Home

I am, of course, abundantly excited to continue my exploration of this beautiful country, but there is a piece of me that arrived in Whiritoa and settled, such that leaving feels bittersweet. Even the curving, winding, exhausting roads leading into this small village have imprinted themselves fondly onto my heart.

This, I know, is one place I will have to return to.