Portal:New Zealand/Selected picture/Week 51, 2006
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![Rain forest, interior of the Coromandel Peninsula.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Coromandel_Forest_n.jpg/300px-Coromandel_Forest_n.jpg)
The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west from the Pacific Ocean to the east. Hilly, forested and rugged, it is a popular holiday destination. The area is also popular with alternative lifestylers.