Today we explored the Coromandel Peninsula. We began by contemplating the walk to Cathedral Cove but decided against it at least for today when we discovered that there is no parking anywhere near the beginning of the walk.
Our next stop was Hot Water Beach where if you wish to park there is a charge of $2 per hour. You may then hire a shovel for $10 plus $10 deposit and walk to a certain part of the beach but only within 2 hours of low tide and begin digging a hole. You will be one of many dozens of others also digging holes and hopefully in a spot where the hole is deep enough to find warm and maybe hot water. If the tide is coming in the hole you so laboriously dug will be flooded with cold seawater and you may have to go and dig another hole.
Our intention for the rest of the day was to explore the Coromandel Peninsula which in reality meant lots of slow driving up and down very steep hills with lots of winding roads and every now and then coming out to the coast
We did eventually reach Coromandel township to discover that the entire main street was being resurfaced with the water tanker driving up and down paying no attention to parked cars and occasionally redesigning a stationary car as it went past.
We decided to return to Hahei but taking a different and what we thought was a shorter route. Let me say that this is not the recommended way to return to Hahei from Coromandel. The road is unsealed, very narrow with broken edges, steep drops, seriously winding with multiple blind corners. But that is not all as the road is frequented by locals with a deathwish, not to mention tourists in their motorhomes which are almost as wide as the road itself. And then there are trucks and buses. So even though the distance is shorter timewise it took us as long or maybe longer than if we gone back the way we had come.
Zig-Zag New Zealand 