Tag 15 • Rotorua - Whitianga (Coromandel)

Unexpected hikes accompanied us throughout the day. Our first stop on the drive from Rotorua to Whitianga was Mount Maunganui. Basically, it is only the remains of a very, very old volcanic cone. The mountain is located on the bay 'Bay of Plenty' in the region of the same name. At an elevation of 232 meters, you have a great view of the surrounding area. We thought we could drive a bit and then take the rest on foot. But that was a misconception. We had to cover the entire distance on foot. It doesn't sound very high, but the track takes about an hour. Depending on your fitness level... As I said, we were not prepared for cardio training this morning. :-) But the view compensated us for the effort. After a short break at the beach cafe, we drove directly to our accommodation in Whitianga. The journey took a little over 2.5 hours. Near Whitianga is the 'Hot Water Beach'. It is named so because of the thermal water that emerges at a limited section of the beach. About 2 km below the Earth's surface, there are 170°C hot rock layers. These are the remnants of volcanic activity. During low tide, you can dig a hole and bathe in it like in a thermal bath. Of course, the time is always limited until the tide comes in. We definitely wanted to do that today. The nice lady at our accommodation had a spade ready and pointed out that we should go to the beach between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. So we started shortly afterwards. Of course, we were not the only ones. :-) Many tourists were already digging diligently, and we wondered if we would even find an unturned spot. It was really funny. Our ambition was quite high to find our own source, but that turned out to be not soooo easy. :-) So, we dug like crazy and every 5 meters, we felt it getting warm. But that was mostly just imagination compared to the temperature of some other holes. They were sometimes so hot that even feet couldn't handle it. Eventually, we succeeded. We left it at that and just briefly boiled our feet. After this not exactly easy action, we wanted to go to 'Cathedral Cove'. The cathedral cave is located in the bay of the same name. There were different descriptions of the way there. So we decided, once again, to take a short walk. Someone described the path as easy and manageable with flip-flops. I can only laugh about that now. It's a real challenge. It took us about an hour to get to the cave, and I was only armed with flip-flops. The bay is really beautiful, and the cave looks great too. Unfortunately, the light wasn't quite perfect for the photos, but we saw it live. :-) The way back was a bit more difficult because it was raining heavily, and flip-flops don't have any grip, so they are absolutely unsuitable. Even though I have done many hikes in Asia with these shoes. :-) Tomorrow, we still have a day in Whitianga and we'll see what else we can visit.