SH25 (New Zealand)

New Roundabout at the start of SH25

The SH25 serves the scenic Coromandel Peninsula to the north east of New Zealand, starting and finishing on SH2 and is therefore a very long way round. Indeed, it is such a long way round, that it even has a spur to reduce the distance! The route starts at a new roundabout on SH2 a short distance north of Managatarata and heads north east across the flat coastal plain to wards the southern shore of the Firth of Thames. However, it turns a little to run parallel to the coast a few fields inland, crossing two wide rivers to reach Kopu. Here, a roundabout marks the northern end of SH26, a short distance along which the spur crosses to the east coast.

The main line turns north, passing through the small town of Thames to finally reach the coast. This is one of the few coast roads in New Zealand, and it runs north for many kilometres, hugging the shoreline apart from where it crosses rivers, almost inevitably in the small villages that make use of the flatter ground at the river mouth. Eventually, at Wilsons Bay, the road turns inland, climbing over the hills and cutting off a corner to reach Manaia at the head of an estuary. After climbing over another headland, the road curves round a large bay to reach the village of Coromandel.

Heading east now, the climb across the spine of hills that runs up the Peninsula is a much steeper and twistier route than those encountered so far. Crossing a summit of over 350m, the road twists and turns through the forest in a series of switchback bends for several kilometres before emerging at Te Rerenga. It then curves round a series of inlets towards the town of Matarangi, albeit turning off before reaching the town. The road does find the coast for a time further east, running along the back of a sandy beach before turning south.

Another climb through forested hills brings it down to the coast at Wharekaho, on Mercury Bay. However, a maze of inlets and estuaries force the road inland again, bypassing the towns of Whitianga and Cooks Beach (across a ferry). The road runs south, then east, then south again, first skirting the base of the hills, before climbing through another bank of forest to reach Tairua. It then follows the Tairua River upstream to meet the spur at Hikuai. This is not the end of the route, however, as it continues south over yet more forested hills to reach the coastal town of Whangamata and then on through Whiritoa before a final climb takes it to its end, back on SH2 at Waihi.

The spur, SH25A, cuts off much of the long journey around the Coromandel peninsula, providing a much shorter route to the east coast towns. It actually starts a short distance south along SH26 from the SH25 at Kopu, and heads east, hardly passing any signs of settlement for most of the route. It too has to cross the spine of hills that runs up the peninsula, and this far south the summit of the route is higher at over 430m. However, as a rule, the bends don't seem quite so sharp and tortuous. Once back down on the coastal plain, there is a short run through farmland to meet SH25 at Hikuai.