A tour dedicated to Sunsets




Here at Coromandel Adventures we have sunset times recorded one year in advance. Sunsets are important to us! You could almost say that as tour guides we sometimes chase them and we sure live in the right place to do so as the Coromandel really does offer some spectacular sunset sightseeing opportunities. Imagine - bush clad hills drenched in orange and gold, pink skies and a red sparkling sea. That’s what we experience on a regular basis. Admiring a sunset does wonders for the soul.

Health studies have shown that admiring a sunset or any spectacular scenery actually boosts well-being and life satisfaction and the psychological effects of appreciating a sunset may persist long after it has faded (Zhang, Howell & Lyer, 2014). Appreciation of the sun in its full splendour brings your mind to the present glory of light and niggling worries can be temporarily forgotten. We find a good sunset turns all our passengers into photographers, instantly!

The founders of Coromandel Adventures Willie Lochore and Sarni Hart were so inspired by the steep mountain range, the thousand year old pohutukawa trees and the idyllic orange tones of sundown that they created a tour dedicated to the chase and hope of magical light. The Northern Escape Sunset Tour departs Coromandel Town approximately 6 hours before sunset and heads north to the very tip of the peninsula to explore the pristine nature and challenging gravel roads. The journey winds through farmland, undeveloped bush clad hills and borders the Hauraki Gulf where the road is less than a stone’s throw away from the sea.

Native New Zealand birds of the pateke/ brown teal duck, the endangered tūturiwhatu/ dotterel and the kahu/harrier hawk are more often than not visible and pointed out by your guide. The northern Coromandel peninsula is home to the brown kiwi and many other rare and native bird species. Environmental protection groups do a huge amount of pest trapping and the bird populations are flourishing as a result.

After a cup of tea or coffee those who want to stretch their legs can walk the Muriwai Track. This track is a one hour walk along cliff tops to the historic Wharekaiatua Pa (a pre-European Maori fortified village) and then down to Port Jackson beach.

The Northern Escape Sunset Tour is timed so the expected promise of sunset propels the ride home and the previously sighted green leaves and hills become a glow. It’s often dark by the time the tour arrives back in town and after a fabulous day of touring, sojourners can choose what they feel like for dinner from the 10 different eateries, bars and restaurants that Coromandel town offers.





Jia Wei Zhang, Ryan T. Howell & Ravi Lyer. (2014). Engagement with natural beauty moderates the positive relation between connectedness with nature and psychological well being. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 38, 55-63.  Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494414000024
Location: Coromandel, New Zealand

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