Coromandel

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 75km east of Auckland, although the road between them, which winds around the Firth of Thames and Hauraki Gulf coasts, is 190km long. The population was 1,790 as of June 2024.

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.

The Coromandel Peninsula extends 85km north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty. The peninsula is steep and hilly and largely covered in bush. The Coromandel Range forms the spine for most of the peninsula, with the Moehau Range at the northern end providing the highest point at nearly 900m (3,000 ft).