The area was settled by Polynesians in about the 13th century. It was one of the first places reached as it is closest to the islands of East Polynesia from where the Great Migration originated.Cook visited shortly after his first contact with New Zealand. He observed a transit of Mercury from what is now called Cook’s Beach. There is a monument to the event although Janie and Denise mistook it for a barbecue when they first walked past it.
When Cook arrived the land was covered with a thick forest of majestic trees (kahikatea and kauri in particular) that unfortunately were ideal for ships spars and general use. The area was named after the British Navy ship “H.M.S. Coromandel“ which anchored off Colville on 13 June 1820. The ship stayed in the Hauraki Gulf for 12 months then went back to England with a load of timber. It took less than 100 years for Europeans to systematically fell the bulk of the bush. There are a few pockets of original trees and substantial regeneration taking place. Here are kauri at Waiau
and the walk to nearby Waiau Falls.
This is typical of land that has been cleared for farming but is slowly reverting to bush. The islands are the Mercury Islands in Mercury Bay.
We had good weather on our holiday apart from a bit of drizzle the day we went to Coromandel Town.
There is a wonderful railway there, largely hand built by Barry Brickell a potter who escaped from Auckland in the 1970’s.
