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Published: March 4th 2007
If Rotorua was the biggest disappointment we had in New Zealand, then the Coromandel was the best surprise. Masa was still a bit sick when we arrived, so we were hell-bent on finding a nice place to stay with a private bathroom and comfortable, clean surroundings. Something quiet, private and restful. We checked out a couple hotels that were way out of our comfort level price-wise and a couple bed and breakfasts that were like staying with someone’s parents. Then we found Tairua Beachfront Backpackers in the little town of Tairua. It was nothing that we had agreed upon: shared bathrooms, lots of people all over the place, a bit shabby, but it was cheap (like all the backpackers there) and clean and seemed ok so we took their last double room. Just for the night… we ended up staying four nights, and only left then because we had reservations in Auckland for the last two nights in NZ. But Tairua was fantastic. The place we stayed had a huge yard with lounge chairs, a deck with lots of tables and benches to eat on. The weather was warm and beautiful with sunny skies. The backpacker hostel was situated on
a huge tidal flat that filled with water at high tide. You could take a couple of the canoes or kayaks they had there out and paddle around, or if you were so inclined you could take out a windsurfer. We were not so inclined. But we did do some kayaking. There was also a hill on one side of the tidal inlet that was perfect for a morning run. Nearby there was a beach that was situated over a hotspring. The result was a place where, during low tide, if you dig a hole in the right spot in the sand it fills up with hot water and you can soak in your own little hot tub. You have to be careful not to get too close to the actual spring though because it’s boiling hot! We found that out the hard way. Ouch! Generally, there was so much to do and see and so much sun, great places to relax and rest and generally enjoy the last few days of your six month trip around the world. We took full advantage.
Our first taste of Auckland was racing to the airport’s Fed Ex office to send in
Masa got pooped on
Just as this photo was taken... you can kind of see it on his right shoulder there... uck.all our insurance and employment forms so that we could have health insurance when we got back. We found out pretty late in the game that we needed to get all of this in and ended up driving the three hours from Tairua to Auckland to Fed Ex the forms to our Company. Then we drove back to Tairua to enjoy our last couple days there.
Our next taste of Auckland was Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World. This is a pretty cool aquarium if you’re ever in Auckland looking for something to do. It’s got a Sting Ray exhibit, a penguin exhibit and a cool walk through aquarium with lots of fish and sharks and stuff. And the guy, Kelly, who built it seemed to be a pretty interesting person, he passed away right after the place opened in the 80s. We ate some more Wisconsin Burger, and checked into the Heritage Hotel. We’d booked a jr. suite on priceline. It wasn’t really that expensive but boy was it ever nice! We were in heaven. We both loved the backpacker places, and if I went back with all the money in the world I’d probably still stay at
Digging for Hot Water
Apparently this is a family affair those most of the time, but this was a really welcome respite from the world of shared bathrooms and communal kitchens etc. We spent a couple days in Auckland, seeing the downtown, using the fitness center in the hotel, eating, I got my hair cut. That kind of thing. And all too soon it was time to board the flight to our very last destination. Tahiti.
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Dawg-boy
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So neato
I have always wanted to visit Australia! My dream place! In fact I may be going next year ... wearing my new sunglasses.