Cathedral Cove is one of the most photographed places of New Zealand’s North Island – so deserves a post all of it’s own :). Accessible only by foot, boat or kayak, this is one of the “must visit” sites on The Coromandel.
I had initially planned to do this as a sunrise shoot, but because I arrived in the area a couple of hours earlier – decided I would check it out first in the daylight…. and I am ever so glad I did. It would not really have been suitable for sunrise, because the sun would be from the wrong direction … and I don’t think I would fancy the walk in the dark.
I was there on a beautiful sunny Sunday and the carpark was absolutely packed… Fortunately I managed to score a spot just as someone left – or I may have had a much longer walk. . The track to Cathedral Cove from the carpark takes about 45 minutes and involves a reasonably strenuous walk over a couple of headlands, with a few steep bits and sets of steps. The path itself is in great condition (but could be slippery in the wet I think).
I arrived late morning – in the heat of the day, so it was pretty tough going (for me) – but very much worth the effort. Once I arrived I spent a good hour or two wandering around, taking photos (of course), chatting to a few people and recovering in preparation for the walk back.
It was a particularly busy day – but was not crowded – despite dozens of groups arriving by kayak and hordes of people arriving by water taxi (both departing from Hahei Beach).
