13/09/2018 - From East to West

A new day began - at an ungodly hour. To be precise, the alarm clock rang at 04:10 am ... Except for the sparkling stars in the sky, complete darkness surrounded us. Quickly brushing our teeth, clearing the front seats, and off we went! Our destination was the 18km distant "Hahei Beach". We parked our Sam at the beach and immediately set off on a hike. Equipped with headlamp and flashlight, we trudged along the coastal trail to "Cathedral Cove". After about 45 minutes, we reached the beautiful spot. The sunrise was still far away, but we were already taking the first pictures.

During our last visit in December, it was bustling here. No wonder, it was summertime and in the middle of the day. This time, however, we had one of New Zealand's most famous photo spots all to ourselves.

We enjoyed the solitude, the tranquility, and watched the sun rise slowly. When it was fully visible on the horizon, we took a seat at the spectacular "Cathedral Cave", which gave the place its name, and had our well-deserved breakfast. Sandwiches, carrot sticks, and a fantastic view of the sea fortified us for the day.
Meanwhile, the first visitors arrived - shortly after, we set off on our return journey. We arrived back at the car around 09:00 am and finally left the beautiful "Coromandel Peninsula" behind.
We switched from the east to the west coast. On the way to "Pukekohe", we once again drove on a three-lane highway after a long time. A true cultural shock compared to the mostly single-lane roads in New Zealand. A clear sign that we were getting closer to the metropolis of "Auckland".
After a successful visit to the library in Pukekohe, we headed to "Clarks Beach". The campground had several leisure activities in store for us. First, it was a close table tennis duel before we moved on to mini golf. At the end of the day, we took an extensive walk on the beach. We strolled barefoot along the sea, contemplating the theme of "farewell" and "what I personally take home from the trip".

The next day, we visited our final destinations below Auckland. On the seemingly endless drive to the remote "Manukau Heads Lighthouse", there were several photo stops along the roadside. For example, we visited the inconspicuous "Waitangi Falls". Then we drove to a peninsula, at the tip of which the aforementioned lighthouse is located. Between the green hills, the "Sky Tower" actually flashed. We parked at the edge of a curve and captured the landmark of Auckland. Exciting and frightening at the same time to be so close to the city where it all began ...
When we finally reached the Manukau Heads Lighthouse, we didn't hesitate and started the tour.

Hidden among flax bushes, the lighthouse stands above the cliffs and has been serving as a navigation aid for ships since 1874.

The special thing about it is that during the day you can enter the lighthouse and thus reach a higher terrace. From here, you had an even better view of the steep coast and the distant reef, which has been the downfall of several ships.
Before heading to Auckland for good, we made a final stop at "Awhitu Regional Park". Here we briefly visited the beach, old (now uninhabited) settler houses, and a stone sculpture that was the highlight. A Maori artist used stone carving art to create the New Zealand native "Matata" (= fern climber) in the rock.
Now there were no more excuses. It was time to grit our teeth and go through Auckland. It got busier and busier. Eventually, the motorway consisted of four lanes - and even that wasn't enough for the traffic. It was incredibly crowded - and we were right in the middle of it with our Sam. ;) Hallelujah! Just don't lose track and don't leave the motorway, because it happens faster than you'd like. Suddenly your lane ends - if you're lucky, you stay on the highway, if you're unlucky, you leave it. ;)
In the late afternoon, we reached "Silverdale", located north of Auckland, which is our accommodation for tonight. Glad to finally turn off the engine, we put up our feet and let the day quietly come to an end.