Which New Zealand peninsula contains the Coromandel Forest Park and overlooks the Hauraki Gulf?

Coromandel Peninsula contains Coromandel Forest Park and overlooks New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf.

The peninsula is on the North Island’s northeastern coast, separated from Auckland by the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames. Its spine is mountainous and heavily forested, with the Coromandel Range running through much of the region. The peninsula is known for beaches, native forest, hot springs and rugged coastal scenery.

Gold mining expanded in the nineteenth century, especially around Thames, which remains one of the peninsula’s principal towns. Tourism later became a major part of the local economy. Hot Water Beach is famous for geothermal water that can be reached by digging in the sand around low tide.

Coromandel Peninsula is distinct from Banks Peninsula near Christchurch and Otago Peninsula near Dunedin. Those two peninsulas are on the South Island, while Coromandel is on the North Island and faces the Hauraki Gulf.