On a mission to see as much as we possibly could on our roadtrip around The Coromandel peninsula, the most popular place to escape to from Auckland city nearby, we planned to drive state highway 25 all around the perimeter, stopping off at beautiful spots along the way.
At the edge of the sleepy and gorgeous little coastal town of Tairua, Paku Hill, a 7 million-year-old extinct volcano, sits jutting out into the ocean. After wandering the town and beach, drive most of the way up to Paku Hill and then climb steadily up to the summit for the last twenty minutes to take in 360 degree views of the entire coastline.
The last tiny bit of the walk is steep rocks so be prepared for that, but otherwise it's an easy hike with a stunning reward.
PAKU HILL SUMMIT HIKE DETAILS
When: year-round
Where: Tairua
Difficulty: easy
Length: 20 mins, with a short rock climb at the end
Directions: drive up to the parking at the end of Tirinui Crescent next to the playground. Cross the grassy field uphill and then follow the white wooden signposts up to the summit.
Bathrooms: yes, there's plenty in town
Public Transit: no, not up to the parking lot
