Living history of The Coromandel

Evidence of some of the earliest Polynesian settlement in Aotearoa, New Zealand exists on the Coromandel. Historical interest points exist around every corner, telling the stories of the two great navigators Kupe and Cook and those who followed in their footsteps. It is believed Mercury Bay (Te Whitianga-nui-a-Kupe) is the place where the great Polynesian explorer first discovered New Zealand around 950 AD.

Captain Cook visited the area in 1769 and observed the transit of the planet Mercury across the face of the sun hence the names of some of the region's beaches and bays - Mercury Bay and Cook's Beach.

In the nineteenth century the peninsula teemed with human activity associated with the exploitation of native timber, gold and kauri gum. Eventually the accessible gold and kauri timber were exhausted and the gum market destroyed. Nature won the battle over man and now over a third of the land is protected as a conservation estate.

Join a local guide, visit museums and working gold mines or walk the heritage trails to understand this history of The Coromandel.