Coromandel - finally out of Auckland

Yesterday morning at 7:15 we took the bus out of Auckland to Coromandel. We had to take the bus because unfortunately, we couldn't find a decent car despite the 9 days we spent in Auckland. But taking the bus also has some advantages, for example, we don't have to get used to driving on the left side of the road.

Here in Coromandel, we are staying in a 9-room hostel until Monday. But it's not as exhausting as it sounds, the people are all pretty relaxed and considerate. Today, together with two others from the hostel, we explored the tourist hotspots of Coromandel. Here are some impressions:

Castle Rock

This morning, the four of us climbed Castle Rock. It's not really well-known, but the path up there was quite adventurous, especially because it had rained the day before and everything was muddy and slippery. We couldn't see much from the top because it was all cloudy.

Hot Water Beach

Hot Water Beach is a stretch of beach where you can dig your own warm pool just before and after low tide. Under the surface, there are heated waters due to hot rock plates that are remnants of volcanic activities. When digging, you have to be lucky, it can be that you either get very cold water or too hot water. Since it is currently spring break in New Zealand, it was pretty crowded there today. It looks funny when there are hundreds of people lying in their dug holes on the beach.

Cathedral Cove

Cathedral Cove is also a must-see in the Coromandel region. The landscape there is really beautiful, which is probably why a scene from the movie Narnia was filmed there.