The Central Motel Coromandel

I slept later today than I think I have in years. This, I am sure, is largely due to the fact that I did not get to bed until around 4 o'clock this morning. Last night, being a full moon, was a prime time to visit Hot Water Beach for an evening soak. As our luck would have it, the low tide was around 2 am. This was nice in that there were only 4 other people there, but it was difficult because it was definitely a long night.<br> <br>The normal crew (4 wwoofers and Cora) left the cafe ...

... a kiwi, so it is a funny combination. She is very friendly and jokes around a lot. So I have concluded that beneath her intimidating, tough exterior is a sweetheart longing to have children and spread her love around.<br><br>Patrick is a strange man. He is from Long Island, New York and is quite the kidder. He is full of jokes and witty comments, which is a relief during the work day. He is a city slicker who has made several failed attempts at learning tidbits of German during the ...

... the flapping noise as it goes past overhead rivals that of much larger birds. Its song I described earlier, but it is a series of scattered clicks, shrieks, and interrupted melodies. It is so strange, but so very beautiful. I hope to record its call so i can remember it precisely.<br><br>Back to work tomorrow; more dishes and cleaning, but I am feeling good about my decision to come here. I haven't suffered from the throat lump nearly at all since arriving, so I take that as a good sign.<br>

... nuts and then sharpened and cleaned tools for the week's work. We had a delicious pumpking soup and some good conversation. All day we were expecting Ollie from the UK to show up, but he seemed to have disappeared. That is, until we all decided to retire for the night. I was walking back to the two-story bunkhouse where I'm sleeping and a campervan rolls up. I introduce myself and meet Ollie, a scatter-brained Welshman who seems to have lost and found ...

... highway, right where the waves meet the Coromandel forest. This time we were not waken up by our alarm but by a policeman who wanted to ask about the car that had ended up in the beach (!) during the night! Eva had actually heard it but didn't say anything until the time the policeman knocked on our door... After a beautiful scenic drive along the pacific coast highway, we passed Coromandel and arrived at Hahei beach around 1pm. We swiftly jumped ...

... their dining room a vista of the rolling countryside that swept down to the ocean: it melted your eyes, it was that stunning. They also had a collie dog who was absolutely beautiful and just bounded everywhere and immediately adopted us as her surrogate parents, whining for our attention and tickles. Gorgeously gorgeous. The next day, Johanna rummaged up a meticulous continental breakfast for us before she left for the day and a quick breakfast turned into a 2-hour one as ...

... that looks half-decent! Piet got back late, and whilst in Auckland he had collected my new credit and debit cards from the hostel, where they had been sent. It's such a relief to have them, although I must admit that part of me wouldn't really be too bothered if it all took a long time to sort out, as it would be an excuse to stay in Coromandel a bit longer... Saturday 31st May This morning we were weeding again, which is starting to get a bit ...

... How do you say goodbye to someone you love so deeply without knowing when you will be with them again. So it is all quite difficult and bittersweet. In updating news, the reason I have been so absent is that I took a hiatus from the Valley. Originally I was planning on just being gone, as the volunteer program was pretty much over, but I have returned, as I will soon explain. After a week and a half of hitch hiking (which was scary, but cool) I made it down to Christ Church ...

... by my decision when working in the rain in Tauranga, however, packing it is going to suck. I've also been avoiding bringing it along on day trips because it takes up so much space, so neeless to say, IU've been getting wet, and cold and sick. This had to stop. A solution was found when I spotted a goretex jacket on sale in Kathmandu (New Zealand's version of MEC). The jacket is normally $500 (holy #$%&!!), but was marked ...

Vandaag ga ik starten met een simpele loop met de bus door de Coromandel. Mijn eerste buisrit bracht me naar Coromandel Town, een plaatsje hoog aan de westkust van dit schiereiland. <br>In Coromandel Town was deze zaterdag net een klein wijnfestival georganiseerd, dus heb ik langs kraampjes kunnen struinen, lekker een wijntje gedronken terwijl er een bandje in een half open vrachtwagen stond te spelen (voelde bijna net ...