Coromandel, New Zealand
Coromandel, (Māori: Kapanga) also called Coromandel Town to distinguish it from the wider district, is a town on the Coromandel Harbour, on the western side of the Coromandel Peninsula, which is in the North Island of New Zealand. It is 75 kilometres east of the city of Auckland, although the road between them, which winds around the Firth of Thames and Hauraki Gulf coasts, is 190 km long. The population was 1,930 as of June 2023.
Coromandel
Kapanga (Māori) | |
|---|---|
Coromandel town | |
| Coordinates: 36°45′18″S 175°30′8″E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Waikato |
| District | Thames-Coromandel District |
| Ward | Coromandel-Colville ward |
| Community Board | Coromandel-Colville Community |
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Council | Thames-Coromandel District Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 10.87 km2 (4.20 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2023) | |
| • Total | 1,930 |
| • Density | 180/km2 (460/sq mi) |
| Postcode(s) | 3506 |
The town was named after HMS Coromandel, which sailed into the harbour in 1820. At one time Coromandel Harbour was a major port serving the region's gold mining and kauri industries. Today, the town's main industries are tourism and mussel farming.
Coromandel Harbour is a wide bay on the Hauraki Gulf guarded by several islands, the largest of which is Whanganui Island. The town and environs are a popular summer holiday destination for New Zealanders. Coromandel Town is noted for its artists, crafts, alternative lifestylers, mussel farming, and recreational fishing. One of the most popular tourist attractions is the Driving Creek Railway.