Thermal Pools

Trip Start Mar 13, 2008

Trip End Sep 12, 2008

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Flag of New Zealand Leigh, New Zealand
Friday, April 11, 2008

Then we drove to Leigh, via a scenic drive through Matapouri, Tutukara, Ngunguru and stopped for lunch at Whangarei before continuing on to Ruakaka, Waipu, Langs Beach, Mangawhai headsand to Pakiri. All right, I'll admit it; we got lost .... As the sun sank lower and lower we were still in search of a nice beach and a place to stay. Once in Leigh we wound up staying for free by the beach by ourselves in a beautiful little rest area complete with toilets and cold water shower! Both Lalitha and I tried fishing but no fishies.... Well, none for us; the guy who showed us how to use our brand new fishing pole caught a couple of snapper for dinner - so much for beginner's luck. To add insult to injury, not only did we not catch any fish, but we got some of our bait stolen by the ever-vigilant seagulls. ("Mine! Mine!" -- "Finding Nemo")

The next day we went to Goat Island Marine Reserve for a tour on a glass-bottomed boat. Girija loved this; she could see the fish under the boat and kept squealing and pointing them out to us and everyone else. They had one old snapper that likes to follow the boat whenever it comes into his territory - the biologists there estimate his age at over 65 years, his length is well over a meter! The biologist who was leading the tour told us about one idiot diver from Israel who got cocky while feeding the fish. He put a sardine in his mouth and invited this old snapper to come and feast - the fish did, taking not only the proffered sardine but half of the diver's upper lip with him! (As Lalitha points out, now we know why they call the fish a 'snapper'!)

So after Leigh (and another bout of 'scenic driving' (= getting lost on really bad, steep, winding gravel roads!) we went on to Waiwera and their famous hot thermal pools.

Waiwera is a town not far north of Auckland. The name is of Mâori origin and means "hot water". Its main claim to fame are the hot water springs which were well-known in pre-European times and the European settlers quickly made it one of their favourite places as well. We stayed in a campground that gave us a huge discount for entering the thermal pools - and we soaked luxuriously in first a 36 degree pool, and then in a 42 degree one - but neither of us had the stamina for the "Lava Pool" and its 48 degree waters...! We both had fun on the thermal water slides as well, long twisting tunnels of lukewarm water that cascade you through to a thermal pool below! Girija was to little to use them, mores the pity, but the two 'adults' had fun!

Less than 1 kilometre north of the Waiwera turn-off lies the turn-off to Wenderholm Regional Park which is situated on the far side of the headland to the north of the Waiwera stream outlet. After our stay at the campground, we decided to head to Wenderholm to free camp. It was beautiful there, with lots of easy hikes and beautiful birds to ogle at (and for Girija to chase!). It really was idyllic there, and like so many places before and since we wound up staying there longer than we intended....