WHANGAMATA

L & P, World Famous in New Zealand.



There’s nothing like a bottle of L&P, a little Kiwi classic with loads of fresh taste. Lemon and Paeroa is a legend and as Kiwi as it gets.

This favourite fruity drop came to life in the sunny Paeroa. With a little bit of lemon and a sprinkling of the magic ingredient, the little kiwi beauty was born.

In the main street of Paeroa stands a seven metre high ‘Lemon and Paeroa’ bottle. New Zealand’s very own soft drink is still going strong as a thirst quencher of choice today, under the promotional catchphrase ‘World Famous in New Zealand’. So it only seemed fitting that the ‘Entirely World Famous New Zealand Tour’ stopped off at Paeroa to see what all the fuss is about.



Kiwi Dundee Adventures

Internationally recognised as one of New Zealand’s top guiding companies, Kiwi Dundee Adventures is owned and operated by Doug Johansen and Jan Poole. They offer visitors a variety of deluxe, small group, or private customised tours and walks in The Coromandel Peninsula and New Zealand wide.



Doug and Jan were away when we visited however, Peter did a great job filling in for them and showing us the spectacular mountains and national parks that The Coromandel has to offer.




Kiwi Dundee Adventures cater for an extremely diverse number of visitors from all over the world. They specialise in deluxe soft adventure tours from One-day Walks to 14-day Natural North/South Private Tours to Custom Designed Tours New Zealand Wide. The longer personalised tours offer North Island highlights with meals and accommodation provided along the way.

Our One-day Wilderness Adventure Walk took us into the tranquil and remote rainforest surrounded by ancient Kauri, Rimu and Rata trees, crystal clear rivers, and ice-cold rock pools.





Oh and we also encountered these little critters…



The Cave Weta.

We visited old historic gold caves, home to sparkling glow worms and cave wetas. Peter thought it would be funny to tickle the back of my neck with a twig as we were looking at the all the cave wetas crawling on the roof. Lets just say that it took me .5 of a second to get out of that cave- screaming as I did so.



"A trip to New Zealand would not be complete without Kiwi Dundee adventure!"
(Fodors Travel Guide). For more information on the tours and prices please visit their website at: www.kiwidundee.co.nz

Breakers Motel

A unique getaway on the Coromandel Peninsula of New Zealand, Breakers Motel is privately tucked in by a reserve bordering on the estuary. An attractive two-story building that resembles a ‘wave’, Breakers consists of four two-bedroom suites, eight one-bedroom units and eight studio units.



Our one-bedroom unit consisted of a queensize bed in the lounge room and two singles in the separate bedroom. The well appointed kitchen features a microwave, two ceramic hob cookers, a large fridge and separate dining area. The modern bathroom has two entrances, one from the main bedroom and one from the open plan kitchen, dining and lounge area. The room is also equipped with Sky TV- not that we were able to watch much of that with all the things to do in Whangamata.



To top it off, all of the units have their own private outside deck area with outside furniture and a large spa pool. From the spa you can witness a spectacular sunset over the Whangamata estuary and Breakers salt water pool.




The tariff is negotiable depending on length of stay, the time of year, and the number of units booked. For more information on Breakers Motel, visit their website at: www.breakersmotel.co.nz


Whangamata Surf School

Whether its your first time in the ocean or you’ve been surfing for years, qualified surfer coach and sponsored surfer Ricky Parker will get you mastering the surf in no time. One of only 15 surf coaches in the country with a level 1 certification, Ricky set up the Surf School with his partner Jazelle to introduce others to the sport.



Jaz, Ricky and their little groms (young surfers) will teach you everything there is to know about surfing. His lessons are ideal for people who have not surfed or are still just finding their feet. The G boards they use for lessons are great for learners because they are really stable and easy to ride.



However, for those who have surfed before Ricky can also teach you some awesome moves. I attempted to master the ‘Hang 10’ move but wasn’t so successful.

As I paddled out with Ricky close behind, Jaz and their little girl were on the beach cheering me on. The first set rolls in and Ricky pushes me on to my first wave. “Paddle Kel paddle” I hear him yelling. Using my hands to push myself up, I put one for in front of the other and VOILA- its as easy as that.





Ricky and Jas also run an up market surf camp, which is designed to take your surfing to the next level, and beyond. I say up-market camp because it is more like a luxury holiday retreat.



For more information please visit their website at: www.whangamatasurfschool.co.nz/

Oceana’s Restaurant

Oceaana’s restaurant is a fine dining restaurant specialising in seafood and New Zealand cuisine. Located in the town centre, however off the busy main street, this restaurant is walking distance from many of the local accommodation providers in Whangamata.

This is considered by the locals to be the best restaurant in Whangamata and it probably is. To start I had the special of the night, Seafood Chowder, which was delicious. For a main I had the salt and pepper squid and prawns, which was also quite tasty.




For more information please contact them on: (07) 865 7157

Remote New Zealand Journeys

As the dusk falls over the Coromandel national parks, a magical glow within the forest walls begins to brighten. With Remote New Zealand Journeys you can get up close and personal with these fascinating creatures glowing within the forest.



As we hiked through stunning semi tropical rain forests, we were once again amazed by the sheer beauty of the glow worms, as they shone in their natural habitat.



However they are not the only things shining in this magnificent forest. As we walked along the rugged pathways our torch light caught the reflection of the New Zealand Silver Ferns creating a spectacular vision.




Sharon the operator of Remote New Zealand Journeys, guided us through the magnificent native bush and demonstrated some of the alternative uses New Zealand flora has on offer.



As all 7 of us (a family of 4, Sharon, Amanda and I) explored the mystical forest after dark, the two wee boys in the family started to get a bit anxious. As we wandered through the mining caves of what was once an old mining settlement, I thought it would be funny to tell Amanda she had a Weta on her back. WELL… Amanda screamed, I was in hysterics laughing and the 2 boys were just about in tears. Maybe not such a good idea after all.



Sharon and her son Damian (co-owner of Remote New Zealand Journeys) also run 4WD adventures in both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. On these adventures you will visit remote New Zealand areas, driving your very own latest model 4WD and following tailored made itineraries.

For more information please visit their website at: www.remotenzjourneys.co.nz