Blogs from Coromandel, North Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 38

Starting off the New Year, after taking down our wet tent, we headed off to Thames, the gateway town to the Coromandel. (or as I keep saying, Comorandel). We booked into a campsite here for 1 night as all others seemed to be booked up until 2nd, it was a nice campsite too, in a tranquil setting of a butterfly farm, as we arrived to put the tent up, it rained again (think its following us). We then had a couple of nights booked at Harbourside campsite in Whitianga (pronounced Fity-anga) North East of the Coromandel, Mercury Bay. On the way up the East coast we stopped at Hahei and at Hot water beach John had a surf, without wetsuit, just board shorts and rashie. At hot water beach, you can dig down and find ... read more

On the 11th we headed to Thames, which is the start of the Coromandel Peninsula. Thames is an old mining, and kauri-foresting town. Our main reason for staying in Thames was to do the Pinnacles Walk, which is an overnight hike up native forest to the top of the ranges. The Pinnacles are basically just big rocks on top of a mountain. The day we had booked to do the hike however was very rainy and windy, and we were informed that if we tried to climb the mountain we would be blown off! So we thought we might live longer if we didn’t do the hike!! So our big excitement for staying in the big town of Thames was a gold mining tour, cheese tasting, and buying a clock from the local market! Good times! ... read more

Hey guys. this is our last full day in New Zealand! Wow. How time flys. It is really hard to believe it is all coming to an end. It realy seems like we left yesterday. Other than the clear fact that traveling from one place to another finding a place to stay and eat has all become very routine and easy. Rather than a journey in itself. We have really been blessed with great weather for out last 2 week bike trip in NZ. We went around the pinisula of the coromandel. Lots of beach and mountains. We had some great hikes and some great days just cycling and roaming the beaches. We finshed the cycling in the town of Thames and had a great hike to the tip of the pinicles. I have never done ... read more

Well I have been away from Wellington for the past two weeks and been enjoying the sunshine in the North of the North Island. We were working up in the Coromandel Peninsula, a truely beautiful part of the world. It's been an eventful two weeks and a great end to my stint on the volunteer program. Tomorrow I rejoin the working world in the office. However before that I wanted to share some of the things we have been up to. The Journey It takes two days to drive from Wellington to the Coromandel, that meant 4 days in total in The Van! I really don't think my back and legs will ever be the same after that mammoth journey with ten of us crammed into the back but it was great to see a bit ... read more

Well Rotarua was wet and smelly - a faint smell of sulphur hung over the town and beside the sulphur springs at the lake itself, it was so disgusting that we almost vomitted. I don't know how anyone could voluntarily immerse themsleves in something that smelt that bad. We set off to Waitete Bay in Coromandel where we were due to be willing workers on an organic farm. No pay - just food and a bed. After an inauspicious start, we had a great time. Frances had a small hill farm up the end of a 4 or 5 km track. She moved there 20 years ago with two daughters (10 and 13), lived in a small caravan for two years, while she cleared bush, fenced the land and got some livestock. Then she and the ... read more