The Coromandel Peninsula

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(14/11/07)
Collected our hire car a Nissan Pulsar and headed out of Auckland. We have bought a cycle rack so will be trying to buy some bikes somewhere too. Said our Goodbyes to our new found gang of mates and left. The drive was lovely winding along following the coast just above the water line. It is so beautiful here, and peaceful. We passed through Thames and ended up in Coromandel town. We arrived at 8pm but there is nowhere open. Nowhere to eat. the town is closed.
Phoned my aunt in Rotorua to arrange a date to meet later in the trip.
(15/11/07)
Checked out and loaded up car, drove to a town called Whitianga via a notorious 309 road (where cars get broken into loads). We drove along the windiest (not wind like blowing, windy like lots of corners) crazy road you have ever seen, up and over the mountains in the centre of the Peninsula. Stopped at a beautiful serene water garden with waterfalls. We are so mischievous, we climbed up the waterfalls as far as we could go - very naughty but really lovely because the falls are a continous range which goes on for ages and the best bits can only be seen by climbing up.
Also passed a lonely 1200year old Kauri tree which is HUGE. we had to climb steps carved out of the hillside through the wooded forest just like something out of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
Found an awesome hostel in Whitianga with amazing views over Buffalo bay. Checked in and passed out
(16/11/07)
Checked out the town. It's small but it has a PADI dive shop so I went in. Long and short of the matter is, I have now booked on a PADI scuba 'rescue diver' course starting monday. Yippee. Raj has booked to do his first scuba course too. We are going to have private lessons. I'm so excited coz the water around here is so beautiful and clear. Posted a whole bunch of stuff home - South American stuff i no longer need along with bits and bobs i've bought from here and there. Bags are a lot lighter now, Phew.
Went to the doctor to get medicals required for diving $80 !!! can you believe it - like 40 quid !!! Passed.
Drove to New Chums beach and hiked along it and over the headland to views of Kennedy Bay. All the beaches are pristine and totally empty. It's amazing.
(17/11/07)
Drove to HaHei to meet our Kayak group. We are going on a sea Kayak tour around to Cathedral Cove. The kayaks are really easy to paddle. They are 2 seaters and have excellent tracking and foot peddles control the direction via a skeg at the back so your whole paddle stroke is forward and not corrective. Very easy. Love these boats and want to buy one. Must get one when back in UK.
The journey took us around into Cathedral Cove which is a lovely beach with a huge cavernous cave like a Cathedral (hence the name) through to a second beach. Our Instructor made us all some lovely hot chocolates and we continued on through a marine reserve into Cooks Bay.
The water is really clear and there seems to be so much marine life, I just can't wait to go diving on monday. Jimmy (dutch guy we met in Chile who followed us to Auckland) has found us again in Whitianga, so we went out to celebrate in the local 'place to be' the Blacksmiths bar. This place is remenisant of a wedding with wide age range and DJ playing typical out of date wedding music. Quite weird.
(18/11/07)
We decided to go for a large hike today but the boys took so long to get ready, we had to modify our plans.

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