The Coromandel

First of all, apologies to those reading this almost as frequently as we are.... we're now about 2 weeks behind on our blog posts and trying to catch up when we can! Who would have thought it, but internet access is far less frequently found (and far more expensive) here in NZ than in South America, so ever since we left the 'home comforts' of Hamish & Kirsten's pad in Auckland it's been a struggle to keep up.

Anyway... after the Tongariro crossing we went up to the Coromandel peninsula with H&K for a night, staying at a family friend's bach in posh Pauanui, followed by a night of solo camping at a place called Cooks Beach, where as there were almost no other campers we just had some rather curious ducks for company (curious in that they wanted to eat our dinner, not that they were weird looking or something).

On the way to the Coromandel from the Taupo area we passed through some real nowhere towns - a real taste of rural New Zealand! The most redeeming feature of a place called Te Aroha, for example, was its slogan, printed under "Welcome to Te Aroha" on the sign as we drove into town. "Get into hot water", it said (there are thermal springs there, and presumably possibilities for some as-yet-undefined silliness... otherwise the slogan wouldn't work). We also drove through Paeroa, which is the home of Lemon & Paeroa, a fizzy drink that has been "world famous in New Zealand... since ages ago". You get the picture.

Pauanui was the haunt of NZ's millionaires during the 70s and 80s, and is still an exclusive resort town (more of a big suburb really) of expensive looking 'real estate'. It has a great beach but the weather when we there was rough so no swimming was to be had (in fact we called barely walk along the dunes for the wind). We did however get some good 'fush & chups'.

A day later and further up the coast we visited Cathedral Cove (stunning scenery) and Hot Water Beach, where thermal springs bubble up onto the beach at low tide and you can dig a hole and sit in it and warm yourself. You do of course have to share that hole with a coach load of germans but we guessed that was part of the fun.

H & R