Coromandel

The Coromandel Peninsula, a couple of hours from Auckland, is known for beaches that feel genuinely undeveloped by New Zealand standards, among them Hot Water Beach, where digging into the sand at low tide reveals naturally heated pools. Cathedral Cove’s dramatic rock archway, reachable by boat or a coastal walk, has become one of the country’s most photographed spots. Rainforest-covered hills run down the peninsula’s spine, and the pace here is markedly slower than the cities either end of a New Zealand itinerary.