The peninsula of Coromandel is steep and hilly and covered in rainforests. Its rugged nature has resulted in a more sparse population especially outside of the summer months. The beaches on the west coast of Coromandel are breathtaking and we hope to return many more times to explore them.
Driving there reminded us of the drive to Tofino on Vancouver Island. We were by far the slowest drivers on the windy roads as we climbed 900 meters up one side of the peninsula and then down the other. Jonah (who struggles with motion sickness) would have much preferred an alternate route. I should have taken some pictures of the ridiculous curves but as a passenger I was just hoping the car would not land in the ditch.
We stayed in the sleepy town of Tairua on the west coast. Our hotel was at the base of Mt. Paku seen below.
A lot of the homes on the 'mountain' are summer homes and currently vacant but you can climb a path that meanders between the various houses and enters a protect forest area at the very top. The views are said to be superb. We don't agree! Naysa asked if the clouds would catch us if we jumped. I told her that only Toopy & Binoo could do that.
The following day was spent looking for gold & hiking in the Broken Hills Reserve. It was once a thriving mining town in the early 1900s but nature has reclaimed it. We chose this hike among many.
I think hiking with an umbrella is a first for me!
Many of the original mining tunnels, archways & portions of railroads can still be found hidden in the forest.
We were also impressed by the size of the fungi! This picture does not do him justice.
We then went to warm up at Hot Water Beach located a little farther up the coast near Hahei. Paula and Shawn spent a week at Hahei when they were in NZ last year. It's quite beautiful, and we definitely plan on coming back here in the summer to hit the water.
It gets its name from the underground hot springs that filter up through the sand. On either side of low tide you can bring a shovel and dig your own little hot tub to soak in. They estimate that over 700,000 people visit yearly but if you pick a rainy day in spring like we did there aren't as many people around! Some of the pools were even too hot to stand in.
Most of our meals were eaten in our hotel suite but we did enjoy a lunch at the Old Mill Cafe. New Zealand continues to impress us with its excellent cuisine.
The food took a little while to arrive - can you tell?
However it was worth the wait.
Then Jonah took some gravol and we drove home.
No comments:
Post a Comment