The Coromandel: From Kiwifruit to L&P

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We left Whakatane and headed along the Bay Of Plenty coast to the Coromandel Peninsula in the north west of North Island. On the way we stopped off at Te Puke to take a look at the farm cum theme park dedicated to the Kiwi Fruit. We didn't actually go in because my key aim of being snapped inside a giant kiwi fruit sign was entirely free.

The terrain got trickier as we went past Whangamata with a few switchbacks and hairpin bins at scary heights but we got to Whitianga by mid afternoon. The scenery was terrific but the weather was particularly dull but we made the best of it with a shopping and a trip to the beach. We left our '70's retro hotel in the morning and travelled around the top of the peninsula on the SH25. It was a tremendous trip with more hairpin bends and steep climbs and drops. It's clear the recent storms had caused numerous rockfalls but we got through to Thames via Coromondel Town in pretty good time.

The most famous Kiwi soft drink is 'Lemon & Paeroa' (L&P) created in Paeroa, a sort of lemonade based drink. After picking up a couple of rose bushes for Pam & Steve in the town, we went down to the information centre where Abi snapped me drinking a bottle of L&P in front of a giant bottle of L&P. Not a duty Abi happily performed as it made us look like a couple of sad tourists but had to be done.

Back to Auckland now for our last few days.

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