About this place
Kennedy Bay (Harataunga) is a hidden gem on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula. This is "beach gold" country — a very different style of prospecting compared to the rocky rivers of the South Island.
How it began
The Coromandel was the site of New Zealand's first ever gold discovery in 1852 (at Driving Creek).
The ground
The gold here is "marine alluvial" — it was eroded from the volcanic range inland and washed out to sea, only to be pushed back onto the shore by waves.
