Thursday, 24.11.2016: Whitianga

Today we pick up our rental car in Auckland and drive to Whitianga, about 200 km away on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, to the 'Albert No. 6' motel. We are pleasantly surprised that there are 2 bedrooms. We have our own bathroom and a pre-prepared breakfast in the fridge (muesli, milk, toast, jam, coffee, tea).

Next, we drive to the so-called 'Hot Water Beach'. There you can dig your own thermal bath with hot water, as there are remnants of volcanic activity under a small beach section. However, this natural phenomenon only occurs for 1 to 2 hours during low tide. Unfortunately, we were not there during this time, so we only saw a nice but not a special beach.

Afterwards, we visit the Cathedral Cove. From the hilly parking lot, a 45-minute hiking trail leads down to this beautiful bay with a beautiful arch, the Cathedral Cave. Drive back to the motel.