Beached as in the Coromandel
Trip Start
Dec 29, 2007
1
32
42
Trip End
Ongoing
Coromandel,
North Island,
New Zealand
Saturday, December 6, 2008
After our token pie in the little town of Kopu we followed our noses to Whangemata. It's a one street town packed with pricy holiday baches overlooking the crystal waters along the coast. We had a picturesque empty white sand beach almost to ourselves overlooking Hauturu Island just off the shore & Donut Island a little further out. After showering in sun protector & soaking up some sun mixed in with a few games of patonk, we decided to head for greener pastures but not before sampling the local delicacy i.e more pies.
Distances are deceptive on maps as roads zigzag along the coastal routes & around forested hills much to the vomit inducing displeasure of those in the back
LandP gang
. Hotwater beach is a short distance north & famous for its rising hot water during low tide (hence the name). Unfortunately we arrived too early for low tide so we didn't dwell long. After enquiring about accommodation in the morgue-like Hahei nearby we opted to try the larger Whitianga further north. Luckily we got the last unit in a motorcamp made for 6 heads. After sampling the local thai, we endured a marathon uno session over a few brews before calling it a night. Our second day drew us to Cathedral Cove right beside Hahei, which without doubt is the most beautiful beach I've ever seen. It features in the opening scene of the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It's not big by any means but with white sands, a number of island-like white rocks scattered by the shore combined with the arch separating the 2 beaches, it's kodak heaven. The public toilet alone is worth a trip there, just not in the George Michael sense. With the cameras on overdrive we moved to Cooks beach closeby which again was a desolate white sand beach. After a little snooze on the sand we were beached as (bro) so homeward bound we sped.
For the Auckland anniversary weekend, Jan 24-26, we made hay & returned to the sunny Coromandel to take a peak at what we missed. All the ghost towns that we had previously passed through en route were now bustling with atmosphere as the long weekend attracted numbers. We took the same route but ventured further south to Waihi beach which was a family spot
DV top of Cathedral cove
. After a kick about & a dip under the searing heat, we were magnetised back to Whangemata. We had booked a holiday camp just north of Coromandel town beforehand anticipating the high volume of travellers. With time pushing on we decided to head there via the west coast which literally hugged the coastline. It was extremely narrow & we faced a 4x4 hauling a boat around every corner to make it more of a challenge. The route was dotted with tiny villages all with exquisite views from mansion holiday homes.
Arriving well over an hour later than check in with our sides meeting with the hunger, we dumped the bags only for Chris to go on a kamikaze mission & KO himself on the window. A pint of blood spilt & ambulance later, Chris was receiving medical attention so a mini group headed back to silent Coromandel town for a grub run. In typical kiwi style restaurants & supermarkets shut early. So in the realms of the movie Alive minus the plane crash, 7 hungry adults sat around a table with about 4 sandwiches, a scanty portion of quiche & a samosa to divide among themselves. To term the scenario awkward would be like calling the facts of life speech an exhilarating experience.
A full Irish the next morning in Coromandel town managed to make up for the previous nights misery. We were expecting to head east & see more of the unexplored but a brief stop at Matarangi beach proved our undoing. A glimpse of the area was enough to glue us there for the day
DV @ Cathedral Cove
. It was easily the wealthiest spot of the peninsula. Houses for the majority were all valued well over a million dollars. Each had a boat in the drive, at least one 4WD & one of the countries top golf courses was across the way from the strand. We bodyboarded the day away until the munchies set in. Menus all along the peninsula offer little else other than battered or fried cuisine so in Whitianga we indulged in the standard platter of the day, fish n'chips. Our final day started in the idyllic Hahei beach which had really come to life since our last visit but the intense heat was peaking & following the 2 prior days I felt I was on a rotisserie. It's located around the corner from Cathedral Cove so those who hadn't ventured there took the opportunity to go. After my siesta in the shade we headed back to Whangemata for one last stint. It was virtually skin cancer weather so we took an extended lunch watching the Oz open while chomping on some grease. One last kickabout drained the tank completely so salted, burnt & beached as, we made tracks for Auckland.
