Coromandel loop

Day 1

So yesterday was just a library day that started with my charging cable being broken and I had only 2 % left. Thankfully, I found a warehouse and was able to buy a new cable. Then at night, someone decided they needed to practice drifting at the freedom camp; I was really glad there were at least 10 other campers there, otherwise I would have felt very insecure being alone, it was around 2-3 in the morning.

Anyway, back to the topic. On the first day, I drove from Thames to Coromandel Town. That was a really nice route along the Pacific Coast Highway, right next to the sea, no road in between, just directly by the ocean. It was partly a bit foggy or cloudy, but I still had great views along the way.

Upon arriving in Coromandel Town, I immediately set out for a little hike up a mountain to enjoy the view; I also got really lucky with the weather here. The town is cute, but it’s not somewhere I need to stay longer, you know? So I moved on. And now comes the total fail. There was once again a tide walk to New Chums Beach. I was actually there at the right time, okay well actually a bit early, and then waited forever at the last curve. First, I walked over the beach and then barefoot through a river (icy cold, by the way) because there was no chance with shoes. Then it was about 20 minutes across rocks, stones, etc., very slippery; it's a miracle I didn’t lose any teeth on the way there. So there I was for about an hour in front of the last big rock. The thing is, you need the low tide because the rocks go steeply into the water, vertically; you can't get past, cliffs everywhere, so going over the mountain is also not an option. After the low tide peak had long passed and the water was still unchanged, I gave up. Chat GPT informed me that the conditions were not good and that this can happen. So I waited in vain and had to go all the way back. And yes, I was a bit angry just because it didn’t work out. But yes, guys, I found my way back to the ground; I still had a cool hike in amazing nature with great views, so all good. At the beach, I cooked some pestonudeln again, and then I was feeling better again. So off to Whitianga to Buffalo Beach. There were incredibly beautiful shells and yes, guys, I collected a few, how could I not? I’m curious what I can take with me when I leave.

So at this stop, it started to rain endlessly with no sign of improvement. It was only 3 PM, so I drove to the parking lot at Cathedral Cove. But it doesn’t say to enter in heavy rain. Okay, fine, I found a camp for today; tomorrow morning, it should be nice weather, we will see if that’s true. So, it was a chill reading day in the rain for the rest of the day.

Had incredibly beautiful nature on day 1.

Day 2

started after it had rained all night so heavily that I was afraid my car would float away, with a mega sunrise. Yes, guys, sunshine all day, 18 degrees. Don’t need to say much more, right? It was a dream. I was out today in Birkenstocks, shorts, and a tank top; I haven’t seen myself like that in a long time, it was about time. So thankfully, I didn’t torture myself in the rain to get to Cathedral Cove yesterday but had a fantastic hike in the sunshine now. So I drove there, parked the car, hung everything out to dry, and off I went. You could have taken a shuttle from the parking lot for $7 that takes you to the upper (currently closed) parking lot, which is steep up to there. But pff $7, I thought I was crazy, so I set off on foot, and yes, it was a bit steep, but it wasn’t far, and the views were fantastic. The sun rose, reflecting in the sea; you could see all the little islands and Hahei Beach from above. Absolutely worth it. Upon arriving at the parking lot, it was first over wooden bridges and then through the forest first up and then down to the beach. And guys, it was so, so beautiful. No one was there; I was all alone. In front of me was Cathedral Cove; on the other side, you could see the rocks/islands in the sea, and next to me was a waterfall and the sound of the ocean. Absolutely stunning, truly, it was so beautiful there. I then backtracked and walked to Hahei Beach, which was really great and fun after seeing it from above. As always, an endless beach with little islands in the water. So back to the parking lot, but a quick stop; I saw a store that sold pies, you know, the savory ones. I don't usually eat much meat, but the ones with steak and cheese are just excellent. So, freshly strengthened, I headed to Hot Water Beach. There they charged me an outrageous $5 for parking. So here that’s where you dig a hole and bathe in it. I’ll be direct, it sounds so cool; I would have loved to do that, but everyone was there in groups/families, and somehow I didn’t want to do it alone; I think you can understand that. But I didn’t want to miss out completely, and it worked for me as it was. I walked down and saw the other people bathing in their little pools. The thing is, I had no way to shower after that, which is already a bit gross. I thought you only had warm water if you dug this hole, but no, the ground is warm in one spot, and when seawater comes in, it heats up so much that I almost burned my feet. No joke, it’s so, so hot; you can't stand there relaxed. Pretty fascinating. After having a bit of a shock therapy (hot water-cold water), I headed to Whangamatā Beach. There I took a little walk, enjoyed the sun, and then continued to Waihi Beach. There were such huge shells; I could hardly believe it. After endlessly searching for shells and adding a few to my shell and stone collection (I really have a collecting problem; I already have a whole bag full), I set out for hiking again. To Orokawa Bay. It was extremely muddy; I was dirty afterward, but it was so worth it. I had great views on the way there, and the bay was a dream. I was once again completely alone there, and yes, guys, I collected shells, but hello, there were pink shells on a black and white mixed sandy beach, to the left the rainforest, the sun was shining through the leaves on the right the ocean and seagulls, a light drizzle causing a rainbow to appear. You get it? It was simply beautiful. I then hiked back, and it was off to the last spot for today in Tauranga, where I will be doing a lot tomorrow, but let's see, the weather is supposed to get worse starting tomorrow, but I’ll still enjoy the Bay of Plenty. I have an overnight spot directly at the sea; there are only 2 spots, and I snagged mine just in time. A little after me, two cars came, but sorry, everything is full. So I definitely had an earth premium day; it was beautiful. Let’s hope the weather is maybe okay tomorrow.

I had a bit of rain in the morning but saw a beautiful sunrise, and then I had to shower and do laundry. So I’ll check back in, folks, when I have finished exploring the Bay of Plenty.