The Coromandel

We had our first holiday of the year this weekend. Amanda needed a break due to work related stresses and Rich had been at work for a full two weeks(!). (We have of course spent a weekend at Waiheke recently but that does not count as a holiday as Rich was not employed!)

We originally planned on visiting Northland (the area of NZ north of Auckland), however we felt there was probably a weeks worth to see and a lot of driving; so headed south east to The Coromandel peninsula instead.

We set off on Friday morning and headed for a town called Thames, gateway to the peninsula and about 1h30 from Auckland. Not much to see here really, in fact this car (left) was the highlight, but grabbed some lunch before leaving promptly and making a made dash for a beach town called Hahei. We had planned a sea kayaking trip but were advised to come a day early due to some inclement weather on the horizon.

Great scenery whizzed by in a blur; the road to Hahei cut through the nearby forest clad mountain range and included many tight bends and steep hills. Amanda started to get car sick and Rich lamented on the poor handling / power of our car.

We arrived just in time, with minutes to spare; we paid, hurriedly changed, and were soon having a quick introduction to sea kayaks which neither of us had used before. Amanda was a little nervous since these were proper sit-in as supposed to sit-on kayaks complete with spraydeck.

We were part of a small international group of 7 (Aussie, British & German) and all using twin kayaks. Amanda took the front seat and left Rich the responsibility of operating the rudder. A quick splash through some breaking waves and we were on out on the water and heading out to sea and the nearby marine reserve. Apparently our group seemed to know what they were doing and our guide decided to take us our further than planned and we headed for the nearby "Pigeon" island.

After kayaking around said island and through some caves we headed for the beach at the world famous Cathedral Cove and one of NZ's most photographed rocks. Had fresh coffee on the beach, prepared by our guide. Took a stroll though an arch to the adjacent beach (Mares Leg Cove) and used the facilities - loos with a view! A quick paddle, followed by some obligatory photographs and we were soon heading back out on the water for the return trip to Hahei.

The water was bright turquoise when viewed from the beach and crystal clear when out on the kayaks. We saw several large snapper and even a little Blue Penguin sunbathing on the water. Entered stingray bay and then gemstone bay part of a "snorkelling trail" on the way out of the reserve and resolved to head back here the next day.

Finished the day off checking in to our accommodation - an annexe of somebody's house in nearby Tairua. Lovely room and friendly people who welcomed us with a lovely bottle of white.

Weather took a turn for the worse on Saturday; changing from brilliant sunshine to gloom and overcast and rather windy. Headed back to Hahei to find that snorkelling was off due to the wind (choppy waves). SO instead we took the cliff top path back to the beach at Cathedral Cove. The sun came out for a while and reminded us of how beautiful it is and why the area is photographed so much.

Headed back to Hahei for lunch where we had some amazing food at The Grange. Headed back to Tairua, stopping off to walk the nearby Twin Kauri walking track that takes in two large native Kauri trees (unique to NZ and driven close to extinction through Victorian logging.

Back in Tairua we climbed the nearby Mount Paku for awesome 360 views of Tairua and around; and also the menacing black clouds that were fast approaching.

A quick descent and back home for a fish supper and that bottle of wine.

The weather improved slightly on Sunday but we decided to have a lie in and a more leisurely day. So, had brunch overlooking the bay at the foot of Mount Paku and then followed a little track through the bush to a great look out. Took in the amazing views before leaving Tairua.

We had done a lot of walking, not to mention the kayaking and so headed back to Auckland via the Miranda Hot Springs - the largest natural hot springs in the southern hemisphere! A popular place with families making a day of it. There was a distinct smell of sulphur in the air and the pools were rather hot - perfect for aching limbs!

All in all a fab weekend in a gorgeous location. And only 2 hours drive from Auckland - we hope to be back soon, although with so much else to explore it might be a while!

You can watch a (very) short video of us on the water by clicking te link below.

Amanda Kayaking