Strawberries, campfires, shooting stars, and Coromandel

After two days of working on the kiwifarm, we had a day off and of course wanted to make the most of it. Together with Lotta, I climbed Mount Maunganui and received free strawberries for my willingness to help. The view from the top is stunning, overlooking Mount Maunganui, Papamoa, and Tauranga.

The next evening, we were back at the beach watching shooting stars. Before heading towards pancakes in Coromandel the next morning.

Our next stop, after a short swimming break, was the famous “Cathedral Cove.” A beautiful beach with amazing rock formations. Afterwards, I drove with Theo all the way to the top of Coromandel to “Fletcher Bay.”

On the way, we set up a campfire in a clearing and grilled our sausages over the fire. We were surprised at how well it turned out and were absolutely thrilled with this experience. The next morning, it was an early start to drive down the west coast of Coromandel at sunrise. A gravel road with many serpentine curves directly by the sea, surrounded by gorgeous landscapes.

After a good 2.5 hours of driving, we arrived punctually at the “Pinnacles Walk” parking lot at 9:45 AM, where we had arranged to meet with the others for the ascent. At 10:30, we started a 12 km trek up over 1000 meters of elevation with some highlights such as waterfalls, great views, and breaks.

Once at the top, there was fantastic visibility and an incredible feeling that had been released. Then, we happily hiked down another 8 km. In total, we were on the move for nearly 7.5 hours.

We spent the night together at one of the many campsites in the Coromandel Forest Park. Cooking was done on a gas stove, and together with Theo, I bathed/washed in the river.

The next day, it was time to say goodbye to the group, with mixed feelings but excitement for new adventures overriding them, Theo and I headed towards Whakatāne again. On the way, we made two stops, went snorkeling, and explored a beautiful bay.

Upon arriving in Awakeri, we made dinner and went to sleep as early as possible. The next morning, we had our first working day on the blackberry farm. Pleasant coworkers and a friendly boss make this job much better compared to picking kiwifruit, especially with the delicious berries. In the afternoon, we headed back to the beach for surfing.

Today, we are using the day off as a breather and handling some organizational matters.

I wish everyone a lovely start to the Christmas season; it's slowly becoming summer over here.