Coromandel Penninsula
We left smelly old Rotorua behind on Friday morning and headed up State Highway 36, which wasn't actually on the map, to Tauranga. Tauranga is a large city by New Zealand standards with a population of 100,000 but barely gets a mention when it comes to tourism. It's a lovely place though and across the bridge is the town of Mt Maunganui which has a cracking surf and swimming beach on the outside and harbour and marina on the inside which was accomodating the Diamond Princess cruise ship and her 2500 passengers for the day. The tip of the little penninsula has a little mountain after which the town is named. It makes a nice evening climb to watch the sun set and the lights come on across the city below.
The next day we headed for the Coromandel Penninsula. Travelling firstly to Waihi a town famous for it's huge open cast gold mine. The mine is pretty much exhausted now but it is a spectacular sight to see the road spiral off down into the earth below with the tiny machinery still at the bottom of the pit.
Further along the road towards Thames is the Karangahake Gorge. This amazing place was mined for gold ore in the late 19th and early 20th century and the maze of tunnels, mines and bridges make an incredibly interesting afternoon's adventure. The little railway that was used to ship the ore to the processing batteries further down the river are being re-assembled and there is talk of putting in a train to take people on what would be an awesome mystery tour through the past.
That evening was spent at Opoutere YHA. Which was an incredibly well equipped with free kayaks which we took for a paddle arounf the shallow estuary spying kingfishers, sea trout and mullet on the way. We could also have sworn Ailsa from Home and Away was staying there too.
Next morning we were off to Hot Water Beach. We checked in at Sea Breezes Tourist Park which happens to be 9km from the sea but lets not quibble. It was tipping down so we were n't to bothered about checking out hot water beach but the owner reckoned that would be a good thing as less people might be there.
So we headed off down to the sea with our spades and swimming shorts.
On arrival it was still tipping down and eventually we had to bite the bullet and head out. At the far end of the beach we could see people clustered around a rock. As we approached we could see them huddled around, some digging and some sitting in the pool which had been dug. The tide was still falling and we, along with some others, started to dig another pool below the existing one. After an immense battle with the waves, our work being washed away with ease time after time, we finally managed to build up a big enough wall to keep the sea out and the hot spring water in. The women folk were in there like a bullet having watched us men dig till we had blisters. We managed to squeeze in though and the deeper we dug the hotter the springs were. We must have managed 2030 minutes bathing before the pool was again breached and the tide had turned. The fun was over but what an extraordinary experience. 50 or 60 people lying in a rain soaked beach, steam rising, rain falling and waves crashing.
Later in the afternoon the sun returned and we made our way to the incredibly beautiful Cathedral Cove with it's limestone rock formations and archway. Not to mention the stingrays and interesting forest walk.
Today we headed further north round the penninsula to Coromandel Town, a sleepy little place on the eastern coast of the penninsula.
We took a ride on the Driving Creek Railway. This short guage railway was built over a period of 40 years by an exentric mainstream drop out to gather firewood and clay for his pottery. Evntually so many people were asking for rides he opened it up commercially and it goes from strength to strength.
We're off to the far north tip of the penninsula tomorrow then back down and off to the big smoke that is Auckland.
Bye for now
The next day we headed for the Coromandel Penninsula. Travelling firstly to Waihi a town famous for it's huge open cast gold mine. The mine is pretty much exhausted now but it is a spectacular sight to see the road spiral off down into the earth below with the tiny machinery still at the bottom of the pit.
Further along the road towards Thames is the Karangahake Gorge. This amazing place was mined for gold ore in the late 19th and early 20th century and the maze of tunnels, mines and bridges make an incredibly interesting afternoon's adventure. The little railway that was used to ship the ore to the processing batteries further down the river are being re-assembled and there is talk of putting in a train to take people on what would be an awesome mystery tour through the past.
That evening was spent at Opoutere YHA. Which was an incredibly well equipped with free kayaks which we took for a paddle arounf the shallow estuary spying kingfishers, sea trout and mullet on the way. We could also have sworn Ailsa from Home and Away was staying there too.
Next morning we were off to Hot Water Beach. We checked in at Sea Breezes Tourist Park which happens to be 9km from the sea but lets not quibble. It was tipping down so we were n't to bothered about checking out hot water beach but the owner reckoned that would be a good thing as less people might be there.
So we headed off down to the sea with our spades and swimming shorts.
On arrival it was still tipping down and eventually we had to bite the bullet and head out. At the far end of the beach we could see people clustered around a rock. As we approached we could see them huddled around, some digging and some sitting in the pool which had been dug. The tide was still falling and we, along with some others, started to dig another pool below the existing one. After an immense battle with the waves, our work being washed away with ease time after time, we finally managed to build up a big enough wall to keep the sea out and the hot spring water in. The women folk were in there like a bullet having watched us men dig till we had blisters. We managed to squeeze in though and the deeper we dug the hotter the springs were. We must have managed 2030 minutes bathing before the pool was again breached and the tide had turned. The fun was over but what an extraordinary experience. 50 or 60 people lying in a rain soaked beach, steam rising, rain falling and waves crashing.
Later in the afternoon the sun returned and we made our way to the incredibly beautiful Cathedral Cove with it's limestone rock formations and archway. Not to mention the stingrays and interesting forest walk.
Today we headed further north round the penninsula to Coromandel Town, a sleepy little place on the eastern coast of the penninsula.
We took a ride on the Driving Creek Railway. This short guage railway was built over a period of 40 years by an exentric mainstream drop out to gather firewood and clay for his pottery. Evntually so many people were asking for rides he opened it up commercially and it goes from strength to strength.
We're off to the far north tip of the penninsula tomorrow then back down and off to the big smoke that is Auckland.
Bye for now
posted by PeterZ at 12:38 AM
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