Police on The 309 Road, Coromandel, after a fatal shooting on Friday. Photo: RNZ / Natalie Akoorie
A man has appeared in court charged with murder and attempted murder after Friday's fatal shooting on the Coromandel Peninsula.
The accused sat quietly throughout the appearance in a blue prison jump-suit.
He was granted name suppression and will reappear in the High Court in Hamilton next week.Judge Noel Cocurullo denied him bail.
Two men were shot on the remote 309 Road, southeast of Coromandel town. A scene examination was underway at a Waiau property.
Police said a post mortem would be carried out on the deceased, while the other victim remained in hospital in a serious condition.
The 309 Road had been reopened, though police remained in the area examining the scene. Residents should expect to see a police presence.
Police were called to the 309 Road just after 2pm on Friday, arresting a suspect at the scene. They were not seeking anyone else.
The 309 Road
An extremely winding, curvy road, local tourism sites say it "takes you on a journey through dense bushland with lots of surprise stops to make along the road".
According to Wikipedia, it either got its name from there being 309 bends in the road, or because horse-drawn coaches used to take 309 minutes to travel it.
The road was reportedly developed the Gold Rush era.
A Coromandel travel blog called it "a largely unpeopled landscape, bordered by river, backdropped with birdsong".
Coromandel's 309 Road winds deep into the peninsula. Photo: Screenshot / Google Maps
On TripAdvisor, one dissatisfied traveller wrote, "Avoid that road.. Just too dangerous, that road can turn your beautiful holiday to a terrible memory."
Another described it as a "drive through Jurassic Park", saying they "loved the pure adventure of this secluded drive through exotic tropical rainforest which I never knew existed".
Among the attractions described on the road was a honey shop and an ancient kauri grove, places for swimming an picnicking, as well as Waiau Falls and the scenic Castle Rock.
