The Coromandel

The Coromandel - a world of beautiful beaches and fantastic scenery

Monday 4^th – Wednesday 6^th February

For the first time in our trip the weather broke on Monday and we had sloshing rain that night. The locals were all celebrating the first rain in 2 months but we didn’t quite share their enthusiasm! Still, since we spent most of that day driving up from Auckland to the Coromandel it was not such bad timing! We’ve hired a little bungalow for a few nights. Quite comfortable if lacking a few basics such as a wardrobe and as Mike reminded me, the cosy kitchen will soon feel vast compared to the camper van facilities which we move into next week!

Spent the last 2 days exploring the scenery between Coromandal town which is near the Thames coast to the West and the Forest/bush/coastal areas over to the east. Our “short cuts” took us up two very windy, mostly non tarmac road for about 20 kilometres. Fantastic  scenery along the way. 

Yesterday we called in at a natural water park at Rapaura. Great café which is always a good start! These far sighted individuals have slaved away taming bush and forest lands and created a fab spot with the most beautiful lily ponds and the friendliest ducks ever encountered! Unfortunately their overtures went unanswered as we hadn’t bought any duck food for them! 

A steep trek up to the summit of Mount Paku was next  on the agenda and well worth it!(Sounds good but not exactly Everest). The 360 views from the top were breathtaking. We were looking down on some fabulous sandy beaches as well as the drama of the forest and small islands that abound in this area. At this stage, I can’t begin to imagine how the South Island scenery can beat this, but we’ll know soon enough as we go South next week. 

Another lovely feature of NZ is the plentiful supply of fresh fish. So far we’ve eaten fresh king fish, prawns and snapper and all have been very tasty and reasonably priced.  Looking forward to tomorrow evening when we eat out at the “Mussel Kitchen”- the green lipped variety are huge here!

Being the other side of the world is very confusing at times. Today was bright and sunny but the wind was from the South  - at home that would be good but here it means that it’s blowing from the Antarctic and was cold! We explored some  glorious beaches today but didn’t linger until we found a sheltered spot at one end of Cooks Beach. 

In our exploration today we came across a beach resort that’s a sort of Milton Keynes by the sea! We’d spotted the beach at Pauanui from Mount Paku yesterday.  On closer inspection today we found a fabulous if windy beach surrounded by a small new settlement – all very tidy and some interesting architecture in the housing! The planners have even included a sort of Venetian quarter with houses built next to man- made canals.  For the ultimate luxury and convenience, it’s quite possible here to park both your boat and your private plane next to your house/the ocean/the airfield!

Pauanui Beach

Cooks Beach

Strange couple on Cooks Beach!

Water looks nice but is cold!