Cotswold Cottage Thames

... betreibt hier ein Wiederaufforstungsprogramm hat schon 20000 Baeume gepflanzt.
Nachdem wir uns mit dem Zug durch Farnregendwald gekaempft hatten, kamen wir ziemlich oben auf dem Berg an und hatten einen wunderschoenen Ausblick auf die Westkueste der Coromandel-Halbinsel.
Nach Stoebern im Toepfer-Shop ging es dann weiter nach Whitianga.

... with 80 beds and a full gas-powered kitchen complete with utensils, I continued to the final leg up to the peak. This consisted of a set of fairly new and achingly steep set of stairs and ladders climbing to a lookout. With a bit of grunting and scrambling, I reached the top to find spectacular views extending beyond the rugged volcanic valley on to the Pacific. Perched high on a jagged boulder, I had a 360 degree view of dense jungle, sheer cliff faces, verdant grazing paddocks, and ...

Driving South,

Two hours south of Auckland finds you at the Firth of Thames. Beautiful protected waters that attract migrating shorebirds on their way down from Alaska and other northern climes. We were a bit early but the local bird watchers told us that in a few weeks they will number in the tens of thousands. Some will have flown non stop from the Arctic Ocean. We did see a number of early arrivals including a Greater White Heron. According to ...

... der Halbinsel sehen.
So das war im Grunde mein Abstecher durch Coromandel, kurz aber mit vielen tollen Erlebnissen
In Sachen Dreck und Schmutz kann mich jetzt nichts mehr schocken!
Wir (Franzi, Anna und ich) haben fuer die naechste Zeit eine Wwoofing-Familie (wwoofing : 4 Stunden am Tag fuer eine "biologische Farm" arbeiten und freie Uebernachtung und Verpflegung bekommen) in Taupo gefunden, von dort meld ich mich dann wieder.
Viele Gruesse
Lucas

... gives it that extra WOW-factor!! Even braved pictures in the sea in my new bikini but it was chilly!! We had a nice chillout here, having a laugh at the kayakers trying to get back out to sea over the waves!! Then the walk back (as we were on a bit of a tight time schedule....needed to get to hot water beach for low tide at 5:30pm!!) We had a nice ice lolly at the top to reward ourselves!!! Visited the lovely gallery at hot water beach that the rents told me i had to go to which ...

... nur rumgelaufen, den super spannend Birdwatchway. (keinen einzigen Vogel gesehen) und dann an der kueste. War wie so Wattenmeer. hab am anderen Ende des Horizonts (oh wie poetisch) gesehen, dass der regen dort schon runterkam. Sah schon cool aus mit den schwarzen Streifen am Himmel. Bin dann aber schleunigst zurueck... Im Hostel hab ich dann eine nette Asiatin aus Hongkong getroffen. War ...

... hospital to pick up a nut allergy injection (to replace yet another lost item), then headed south on SH1 bound for Hot Water Beach. The journey south, then east and north up the Coramandel Peninsular, took us until 4pm, by which time it was nearly high-tide. As a resultm we decided to leave the beach for the next morning and drove a few miles north to Cathedral Cove. Here, a thirty minute walk took us ...

... is zo een fiets dan gratis of kost het heel weinig. Op deze fiets kan ik wel fietsen maar het is niet een van de beste fietsen. Eerst een klein stukje langs het strand gefietst en vervolgens op een kleine ferry die mij en mijn fiets naar de overkant brengt. Terwijl ik op de ferry wacht komt de eerste hoos bui. Ik twijfel of ik wel moet gaan in dit weer maar ik wil ook geen dag verliezen. Ik stap op de ferry en zit de regenbui uit aan de overkant. Als de regen is ...

So, after an uneventful 6 hour flight we arrived in Aukland, in the dark due to the 2.5 hour time difference. Jo's uncle had hired us a car which was waiting for us. With a map bigger than both of us we somehow managed to navigate from the airport down South, to the North Shore and we only got lost twice.. Aukland roads are crazy!! You look at the map of central Aukland and it looks like a roller coaster, roads going everywhere! This I can understand in somewhere ...

... picture of the rare kokako and saddlebacks, although the flightless takahe seemed to have the day off. Well worth the ensuing battle through the Auckland rush hour to get to Thames.

Our route now is planned through the central volcano district and via Taranaki, before we get our South island ferry on longest day 21st December for Christmas in Golden bay. Meanwhile the trees are in flower and the Sally Army are playing carols in the heat. It's confusing being upside down!