The best tour companies are located at Pauanui, but their tours cover the whole peninsula. Johansen & Wincorp Adventures, 430 Settlement Rd., Pauanui Beach (tel./fax 07/864-8731; www.coromandel.co.nz; www.remotenzjourneys.co.nz), offers a wide range of hikes, nature treks, and guided and personalized tours. Their Night Glow Worm Experience is a lot of fun, and all tours include some history of the region, as well as information on Maori medicines and foods of the forest. Tours range in price, but start at NZ$90 per person. Aotearoa Lodge & Tours, 70 Racecourse Rd., Whitianga (tel. 07/866-2807; www.tournz.co.nz), specializes in multiday tours of Coromandel Peninsula, Rotorua, and East Cape, departing Auckland daily. Its 3-day A Touch of Coromandel tour is NZ$850 per person.
Kiwi Dundee Adventures, Bond and Harbourview Road, Whangamata (tel./fax 07/865-8809; www.kiwidundee.co.nz), is the brainchild of passionate outdoors enthusiast Doug Johansen and his partner, Jan Poole. Doug is one of New Zealand's foremost nature guides, and he and Jan offer a range of full-day tours. Day tours are priced from NZ$230 per person, including lunch. They also have several upmarket 3-day tours running between Auckland, Coromandel, and Rotorua, offering top-level accommodations for two to six people. These are priced on application and according to the accommodations used.
Take to the water in the Glass Bottom Boat (tel. 07/867-1962; www.glassbottomboatwhitianga.co.nz) to see a little of the area's amazing marine life. They have an excellent ecotour to Cathedral Cove (snorkeling included) for NZ$85 adults, NZ$50 children ages 5 to 15. Or join Whitianga Adventures (tel. 0800/806-060 in NZ; www.whitianga-adventures.co.nz) to explore sea caves and islands for about 2 hours, for NZ$65 adults and NZ$40 children ages 5 to 12.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
