23 March – 27 March
Wednesday:
Today is looking a little cheerier as we pack up and get ready to leave. We have a slow start trying to finish up some last minute internet time and stocking up with groceries in town. We’re driving to the Coromandel and more specifically Hahei beach. It is, of course, a scenic drive - half serene farmland and half lush forest.
It’s about 4pm when we arrive and we purposefully don’t go to check out the beach – we’re saving that for tomorrow. Instead we head for nearby Hot Water Beach.
Quite randomly we’ve arrived at about low tide, which is when we need to be here. If you grab a spade and dig down you hit hot water (hence the name!). We cheat and don’t bother digging a hole – we simply dip our feet into other people’s holes (and there are plenty, believe me).
Despite the overcrowding it’s still a fascinating experience. The beach is gorgeous anyway, but for this section it’s a bit like having underfloor heating. When water comes towards you you’re not sure if it’s cold water from the sea or hot water from the natural springs. And the water really is hot – as testified by the numerous pink buttocks around us.
With that it’s back to the campsite to cut Nick’s hair. I’d like to say I’m getting better at it, but I think it’s more likely that he’s getting used to the bad cuts.
Thursday:
It’s looking a slightly better day today and we decide to do the hour or so walk from Hahei beach over to Cathedral Cove.
There are a couple of beaches and snorkel spots along the way, so we set off in swimmers and flip-flops. It’s a beautiful walk, but muddy. Although it’s calmer today, the rough weather has stirred up the water and there’s no chance of snorkelling.
As we approach Cathedral Cove we discover that the stairs leading down to the beach have been washed away, so it’s a very sticky scramble through the mud to get down. In our completely inappropriate state of dress the best idea seems to be to take off the flip-flops and just man it out. It’s been a while since I’ve felt the squish of mud between my toes. I have to admit, it’s a good feeling.
We spend a bit of time on the beach admiring the waterfall and the natural stone arch (which is at risk of collapsing and thus a no go zone) before tackling the mud again. Back at camp the weather turns again and we’re left with a rather miserable, rainy afternoon.
Friday:
It’s still raining and miserable this morning. We take a drive further up the Coromandel and then start dropping down the other side. At lunchtime we find a picturesque spot to warm up some soup.
We’re staying near Thames and were hoping to do a bush walk when we arrived. But seeing as how the rain shows no sign of letting up, we head into Thames instead for a look round. It’s only a little town, but packed with 2nd hand bookshops. We spend a couple of hours browsing the books before heading back to our camp.
Saturday:
Yes, still more rain. We’d hoped to do a bit of walking or hiking this morning, but it’s jut not happening. Instead we drive to Tauranga – an attractive, up and coming beachside town. We hide from the rain in the shops then grab some lunch in a little café.
We’re staying with some friends of Nick’s tonight. Chris is playing football nearby, so we decide to meet him there and catch the 2nd half of his game. Luckily they win 2-0 and he’s in a good mood as we head to their gorgeous house up on a hill a short drive out of town with views like this.
It’s lovely and relaxed to be in a warm home and we’re soon plied with enough food and wine to ‘twist our arms’ into staying another night. Oh, and did I mention Isla the dog?
Sunday:
A few of us (ahem, everyone expect the sensible Fiona that is) had a few too many jars last night and learnt the hard way this morning that 2am is not a suitable bedtime for people of our age. Nevertheless, a cooked breakfast goes a long way to sorting us out. As the lads settle in to watch the England v Wales game, Fiona and I wander over to stay hello to the sheep.
After lunch (homemade soup) it’s time to take Isla for a walk at a nearby reserve. It’s a beautiful spot, surrounded by water and full of fruit and nut trees. It’s public land, so the produce is a bit of a free for all. We spend a good while collecting a bagful of fresh walnuts from a huge tree – Chris and Nick throwing sticks to knock them down.
After that we move onto the avocado tree.
Back at the house I grab the opportunity of a hot bath and then sit back to be fed some more.
Janet adds: so much fun to be looked after for a few days. I don’t think I’ve ever been so well-fed in my life.
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