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Alright so the coromandel is a place so beautiful that it requires its own travel blog entry. My first day in the coromandel went like this. Woke up 6:00am in a backcountry hut that I hiked to the night before. Made the 1hr hike to the top of the Pinnacles mountain range just in time to see the sunrise over the entire coromandel peninsula (it was cold and wet but between the clouds the views were amazing). Then hiked my way back to the van, climbing 2 amazing trees along the way, and swimming in the river (so cold), but there was a bad ass rock jump so who could resist. Then a short drive to another river where I had lunch and inflated the kayak, for a short trip down the river. Then I got lost, and found myself again. Then I drove to the east coast of the coromandel just in time to enjoy a 3hr surf session, the waves were not as good as I found in Raglan but their was an off shore wind which makes the waves form tubes, so if you bend your head just right your head can catch a barrel (sweet as bro).
So yeah surfed until sunset over the mountain range that I climbed that morning. The only bad thing about surfing until it gets dark (especially in the winter) is that it is hard to warm up after you get out of the water. Unless you happen to be at a beach where all you need to do is dig a hole, wait for it to fill with hot water and then get in your own personal hot tub on the beach. Thats right some sort of volcanic activity in the area and hot water literally fills the hole you dig on the beach. So I guess I will grab a beer and sit here watching the stars for the next hour or two. Or at least until the tide comes in and cold water fills my hole. Not a bad day considering it was the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year.
Day two in the Coromandel did not disappoint either, a fellow traveler asked me to join her for a sunrise hot water beach adventure, so again an early start around 5:30am to catch the low tide. We enjoyed the sunrise this time from the beach
in own private hot tub. Don't get me wrong thou between digging the hole and trying to hold back the ocean with a sand wall, it is not as relaxing as one might imagine but it is an adventure all the same. Then we went for a hike to a place called Cathedral cove. I took the kayak and paddled out to an island about 1km offshore. The wind turned on me when I was out there and it was quite the adventure getting back. Then some snorkeling, and a drive north where I found an old logging road to camp on and watch the sunset. Day three involved morning snorkeling and a run on the beach followed by a drive to Port Jackson, the northernmost point of the Coromandel peninsula. Another run on the beach, some yoga on the point and then some evening meditation and a bottle of wine. There is something I really like about sleeping on the beach and listening to the waves as you fall asleep. The next day was the Coromandel walkway, which I decided to run because why not. It was truly an amazing view at every turn, and I had to stop
many times for pictures and once because I found an amazing tree I wanted to meditate under. I spent the rest of the daylight climbing these really cool coastal trees and then a trip to the food store for a resupply of ginger beer and chocolate. The surf report told me that I should head north to find some waves so I drove 3hrs to get past Auckland and found a quite spot to sleep next to the beach.
A quick word on traveling alone... It defiantly has it's pluses and minuses, one of the good things is that if you don't like your situation you can change it, quickly. It is also nice because at least for me at the moment it gives me a chance to develop my identity without associating it with anyone or anything else. I am constantly asking myself, who or what am I and who or what do I want to become? I have no job so I am not a carpenter/doctor/lawyer... I have no home, at least not a fixed home. I have no association with any one place, I have been living out of my backpack for so long now that
I can best be described as a traveler, or an explorer. I also have no ties, responsibilities, debt or monthly payments. Not that these things are bad but it does limit ones ability to be free and experience oneself in the most primitive of human conditions. I am starting to feel like I want to develop a home within myself, to develop a level of peace within myself so that I will always be home no matter where I am. Not that I want to detach myself from society, far from it I love meeting other travelers and am enjoying my time with them. But such is the life of a traveler, constantly changing constantly moving. In search of the next thing whatever that may be. Until I find just the right mix of beauty and adventure.
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