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New Zealand > Waikato
> Coromandel Peninsula > Tairua
By Jessica Lloyd
 Tairua – close to everything
This village has pubs, restaurants, a supermarket and an assortment of other
shops such as surf shops and a hardware store. The Tairua bakery is famous
on the Coromandel for having top quality breads and pastries. Tairua is a
popular spot for surfers, and it has a surf watch camera on the hillside so
you can view the state of the waves from your home before you waste time and
money getting there. Tairua is on the way to Hahei, Cathedral Cove and Hot
Water Beach, as well as being the main road to Whitianga. You can’t avoid
it, really, unless you are lucky enough to be flying.
The People
Tairua is laid back, so don’t expect anyone to go getting all huffy and hot
or bothered about too much. The kids are tanned and blonde, more than likely
to be seen walking to and from the beach with boards resting in their palms
and leaning on their wet suited torsos. Winter or summer, the beach is
enjoyed daily whether it be for walks, swims or surfs. The normal population
is about 1500, but in summer this grows considerably because people really
love to come here and hang out. It really is a fun and interesting place to
spend time.
The atmosphere is warm and friendly. Summer is the best time to visit because
there are so many people here it just rocks. There are always parties to go
to and people to meet and things to do and see. You certainly won’t get
bored of it anytime soon!
Nightlife, Food, and Drink
With the recent demolition of the popular Sir George Grey Hotel (a.k.a. The
Tairua Pub) a few new cafes and restaurants have sprung up to provide the
all-important watering holes, though no pub as yet. In summer local bands
and musicians often play, and there is a colourful ambience. There are
numerous stops offering food and drink, though it wouldn't take you too long
to pick a favourite and attempt to try all the dishes on the menu! The great
thing about food and drink on the Coromandel Peninsula is the quirky and
unique 'artiste' brand of decor and food presentation. Being home to some of
New Zealand's more eccentric persons makes for some interesting dining!.
Surfing
The surf here is excellent, the steep bottom creating fast heavy waves. When
the swell is really big the bar breaks with a long left. Surfers from all
over the country come here, though the waves aren’t always entirely
reliable. If the waves aren’t ideal in Tairua, nearby Sailors Grave or
Pauanui are alternatives.
Swimming
The estuary is warm and safe for swimming if the sea is rough, but the
sheltered harbours make Tairua a reasonably safe place to be. Lifeguards
patrol the beach during summer in front of the Surf Life Saving Club.
Other Water Sports
Diving is great, windsurfing is popular in the estuary, and there is a ski
and wakeboard lane set up in the harbour. Hours can be spent exploring the
upper harbour/estuary in a kayak. Fishing is also a very popular past time
here, so if you feel the urge to catch some kai for your whanau or amigos,
take out a tour or rent your own fishing boat.
Tramping and Walking
If you are into walks, the Kirikiri Saddle, halfway over the mountains from
Thames to Tairua (SH25A). This walk takes you to the peak of Mt. Kaitarakihi,
and takes three hours each way. Once at the top, the views are spectacular.
There is also a trek of to Devcich Kauri, which takes a little longer. There
are plenty of walks to go on once in Tairua, a quick stop at the information
centre will fill you in on the details or look here. There are walks that
will lead you into old goldmining territory, as well as some beautiful
waterfalls and rivers.
Art and History
The Coromandel Peninsula is home to many great artists, may that be crafts,
paintings, drawings or ceramics. Tairua is no exception, and there are some
excellent craft shops with artwork from all over the Peninsula, and New
Zealand, in them.
There is a reasonable amount of goldmining and kauri forestry history in
Tairua, with mills having been set up years ago, with some remaining/parts
of them remaining. Tairua holds some New Zealand-wide logging records.
Getting Around
There is an airfield nearby at Pauanui, which is handy if you wish to fly in
or out of the area. For most of us, though, getting there will be by wheels.
Some keen people ride their bikes over, which if it wasn’t a major
connecting road (the Kopu-Hikuai, SH25A) it may be a bit more fun. It is
reasonably safe to ride bicycles around the Coromandel, because everyone is
used to having tourists on bikes (and in their big Maui campers driving on
the wrong side of the road!). Speaking of bikes, there is a good mountain
bike track in the forest here. If you need to get to and from Tairua, there
are buses from Thames, and around the Coromandel Peninsula. Hitchhiking is
also a very viable way to get around the place, as long as you don’t look
like a total derro!
Accommodation
There are the usual range of high quality and expensive resort-style
accommodations, and cheap backpacker’s hostels. There are plenty of B&B’s to
choose from, but it would be advisable to book in advance if sleeping in the
car isn’t your cup of tea.
Hotels -
Motels
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