18.12. Coromandel, Whitianga, Hot Water Beach, Cathedral Cove, partly cloudy, warm, around 22 degrees, windy

After breakfast, continue driving on a winding road to Whitianga. Stroll along the harbor promenade, enjoy an espresso and cappuccino in a nice cafe (Malte receives a basket full of toys and Imola skypes with Brianna). Then we grill our first T-Bone steaks in NZ at a public barbecue area on the beach. We meet a couple from Ba-Wu. Then we continue to Hot Water Beach. Low tide is at 5:10 PM, which means you can enjoy the warm springs 2 hours before and after.

Once there, we first hike to the beach where warm to hot springs seep into the ocean. You simply dig a larger hole in the beach and it will be flooded with warm or hot water. So you have a bathtub with warm water in no time.

There are already many people who have dug out their holes with shovels. The three of us enjoy the warm water in our bathtub, the beautiful view, and the surf.

At around 6:30 PM, we continue to Cathedral Cove. A rock formation on the beach. Find a parking space for our motorhome right at the start of the hike. Take a short walk, admire the houses with the great view of the bay.