Whitianga, Coromandel

Whitianga was my next stop after sleepy Thames, and it was the most enjoyable leg of that trip. Fronted by the beautiful Mercury Bay, Whitianga and its neighbour Hahei is a popular base to explore the highlights of the Coromandel - Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach.

Whitianga itself has plenty of holiday homes ('bachs' in Kiwi slang - short for bachelor home) and a marina for boaties to park their sails:

It doesn't have much in the way of natural attractions besides Mercury Bay itself. However, all it takes is a 5 minute ferry ride across the mouth of the harbour to get easy walking access to some stunning scenery of the region.

Map of area across Whitianga

Ferry services: $2 adult each way

Photos of the ferry and some of the places mentioned in the map is after the jump.

Whitianga Ferry

Ferry platform

That's Shakespeare Cliff on the left

Easy 10 to 15 minute climb up stairs, with some nice views along the way

On the climb up Shakespeare Cliff, looking out to Whitianga (left) and beyond

Tall slender trees frame your easy walk up Shakespeare Cliff

From the Cliff looking out to Lonely Bay and Cooks Beach

Lonely Bay, which *is* pretty isolated

Why is it called Mercury Bay? A plague on top of Shakespeare Cliff explains it all

More Whitianga photos in the next post.