Day 31 and 32 Coromandel Peninsula

---

Day 31 and 32 Coromandel Peninsula

As I was feeling a bit better we venture with all our luggage to see the harbour in day light. It was a lovely sunny morning and it was great to get some fresh air. We decided to get the airport bus from the city back to the airport to then get our camper van company (Freedom Campers) to come and collect us. This worked out well and they provided us with a great service.

Camilla (we named the camper!!) is fab she is 13 but has everything we need and is very well maintained, we were very excited to get her on the road. Our first stop was the supermarket to stock up on supplies for our three week trip. It was in fact a Westfield shopping centre and it was just like calling at the White Rose Shopping Centre for a few hours, just with different shops.

I know that I love shopping but even Oli enjoyed just wondering round in a safe and familiar feeling environment and eating at the food court for lunch. Eventually we got our food shopping done set the Ipod to play and hit the road.

We head south from Auckland and then east towards the Coromandel Peninsula. The scenery up the western coast line was very spectacular and it was great to see the sea again. We stopped after a few hours of driving at Coromandel town and found a small camp site right at the end of a road in a cove. The setting was beautiful and very tranquil so we parked our van facing the sea

Oliver cooked beans on toast which was the first meal I have enjoyed in nearly a week. The sunset over the sea and we set our bed up in the back of the the camper van and enjoyed our first night of camper van freedom.


Day 32

After cooking breakfast we loaded up Camilla the camper and set off to see the east coast of the peninsula. Just like yesterday the scenery changed dramatically and even looked like jungle at times. Mid morning we arrived at Hot water beach this is a beach that sits on top of an old volcano so at certain parts if you dig down in the sand hot pools can be formed. When we arrived a few people were digging and trying to create pools to bathe in. The sand was very hot and the water could have easily burnt your feet, You could even see the hot water bubbling through the sand In places.

We stayed on the beach for a while and watched as more and more people tried digging for thermal springs, it was quite entertaining. Whangamata was a couple of hours journey but we arrived late afternoon in time for a wander around before setting up camp. It is a small town which is most well known for its good surfing beach.

After a lovely meal cooked using some of the site facilities and our own we have a stroll along the beach. The houses next to the beach were really nice, although we are surprised that most houses we have seen in New Zealand are made from wood.

The camp site we stayed at had good facilities including a big kitchen, lots of showers and a laundry. It does not look anything like our holiday parks in England as it is full of old caravans with conservatories instead of modern static caravans with all the mod cons!

Laura

---

Comments

[becki]

camilla
Camilla looks ace!! I bet you'll have loadsa fun. New Zealand looks just beautiful, shame its so far away : )