Mercury Bay - A Second Summer

I've been staying in the little town of Whitianga (pronounced with a soft 'f', it's a little bit bigger than Kaikoura) for about a week and a half now, on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. I hitchhiked over here from the even smaller town of Coromandel last thursday, and decided, being a little short of money, to stay here for a while and get a job. It turns out the second place I asked, a bar in town called The Blacksmith, was desperate for a kitchen hand so I got evening work starting immediately. Very lucky.
The first thing that made me want to stay was the coastal scenery. The town is fronted by a long white sand beach, thick with broken shells, but the opposite side of the river is overshadowed by high, white volcanic cliffs, which continue along the bay, broken by small coves. I'm told the cliffs are ignimbrite, formed by the pyroclastic material from a volcanic eruption, and easily eroded by the sea. As a result the coastline is full of caves, stacks and blowholes.
Whitianga is reputedly the place where the legendary polynesian explorer Kupe originally landed (The Maori name 'Te Whitianga O Kupe' means Kupe's crossing place) and was one of the earliest human settlements in New Zealand. It is also the place where Captain Cook landed to observe the passing of Mercury - hence the name of Mercury Bay (the site itself is called Cook's Beach).

The weather has been mostly calm and sunny, and I have spent much time walking the beaches and climbed some of the cliff faces to get those hidden views. I took a kayak out one day to explore the rocky shores and sea caves.
Most tourists come here for a day or two to bathe at Hot Water Beach, where a hot spring flows into the sea, and to walk to the arch of Cathedral Cove. Staying here for so long, I got a few chances to drive there with people who were heading that way.
After the thermal springs in Taupo and Rotorua Hot Water Beach came as something of a disappointment. I had heard lots of hype about digging your own hot pool in the sand, but the sea level was much too high for the whole time I was here. The best I got was standing ankle-deep in sea water and feeling the hot spring with my toes.
The reserve around Cathedral Cove was pretty spectacular though, consisting of a number of bays cut into the same white rock as at Whitianga Ferry Landing. It's also a marine reserve, teeming with sealife, and the shell-covered beaches bear evidence of this. I spent Tuesday afternoon snorkelling in Gemstone bay with Morne, my South African roommate (who I had met previously in Taupo). The water wasn't too clear because the sea was rough, but we saw lots of fish amongst the rocks, particularly some very large snapper. Unfortunately the winter sun set early behind the headland and cut our time short.

I have been staying at a friendly hostel called 'The Cat's Pyjamas', it comes highly recommended to anyone visiting the Coromandel. There was lots of space, and the kitchen was well stocked and homely, and that's the most important feature in any hostel. Sue the landlady was really nice, and cooked dinner for the guests one night. Jake, the outspoken-but-charming 7 year-old son was always around and desperate to join in whatever was going on. Morne and I took him fishing on Sunday afternoon, which was hard work (trying to convince Jake that he needed to stand close to the edge in order to catch anything) but fun. We only caught one snapper big enough to keep, but it was so big that there was plenty to go around.
It's all about the shellfish here, I have been given fresh mussels on two occasions, and had a go at picking pipi (like cockles) at low tide. The pippies weren't too good, but the mussels here are huge, and I cooked enough for everyone at the hostel to have some.
So I've been managing to survive on local seafood and cheap vegetables from the organic market. My kitchen wages cover food and board so it works out about even. I've had a great time (it's felt a little bit like a holiday) but I feel like I've spent seen enough here and it's time to move on again.

---

---