Beautiful Tairua is a small town with a big friendly attitude situated on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. The people here are proud of their little community. It is most noted for the large cone that stretches high above the town. “Paku” is a twin volcanic cone that was once a Maori “pa” (fortification). The view from the top is quite dramatic and offers a 360 degree view out to the Alderman Islands and around to the mountain ranges. A stop at the top of Paku hill is a must for everyone traveling through!
Some people say Tairua translates as “two tides” while others attribute the name to a legend about a fleeting warrior who evaded his enemies by changing the course of the river.
There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that Tairua is the site of some of the earliest human habitation in Aotearoa.
Tairua has 1,100 permanents, swelling to around 11,000 during summer. The town mascot is a giant jandal.
What do people do all day? Trades mostly – depends what the surf’s doing and what the fishing is like. A good combination of retired people and young families make for a vibrant community.
The first Pepe Foot Bridge was built in January 1911. It took six men six weeks and at 92 metres long, that was no mean feat. It was widened in 1926 to take cars and replaced in 1943, although it’s still just a single lane.
The Coromandel Peninsula is truly a world of its own. It is like no other place in New Zealand. It runs by a slower clock (nothing is ever a rush), there are no cities (only small towns) and it possesses a rare unspoiled natural beauty wherever you look.
It is just east of Auckland on the east side of the Hauraki Gulf. The west coast of the Peninsula faces back towards Auckland while the East coast of the peninsula looks out across the Pacific Ocean. It is truly a spectacular place in a spectacular country.
