Push off from the white sand of Hahei Beach and skim across the Pacific in a small group, with the Coromandel’s volcanic cliffs rising on one side and crystal-clear water below. Your skipper threads the boat through sea caves carved into the headlands and out to Cathedral Cove, the soaring rock archway that has made this stretch of coast world-famous. Along the way you’ll hear the Māori stories woven into each landmark and pass marine reserves teeming with fish and birdlife. The hour goes quickly – an unhurried, photo-stop kind of quickly – with the open ocean stretching wide and the cliffs catching the light.