19.12.19 Coromandel Peninsula, the 309 Road & Real Fruit Ice Cream

Today the journey was the destination. Across the Coromandel Peninsula on the 309 Road (gravel) we went to the small Waiau waterfalls.

We continued over the mountains to the Firth of Thames, the west coast of Coromandel. The place with the same name is a tranquil document from ancient times.

North of Coromandel Town, civilization becomes very sparse, but the coast becomes all the more breathtaking. The road follows the turquoise shimmering sea arm for about 20 km.

Picturesque uninhabited islands and the red flowering Pohutukawas are great motifs. Just past Colville, I am not allowed to drive any further because apparently the roads here are so rudimentary that you are not insured.

So I enjoyed a real fruit ice cream with a view of green hills and beautiful flowers. So today from dusty mountain passes, across wide green mountains, small rushing waterfalls to Pacific impressions, summer flowers, and the occasional pig 🐷 on the road - that's New Zealand. And all this with plenty of sunshine ☀ and temperatures well above 20 degrees. At the end of the day, there are almost deserted white beaches of Cooks Beach and along the Mercury Bay, just around the corner from my campground.