Day 74: Auckland to Thames

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I woke just before 5:30, and scrambled to catch the 7:30 bus to Thames. Even though I had kept almost everything packed, I was moving slowly and I only just made it through the door at 7:15, the time Intercity required me to be at the station.
Of course the bus didn't leave till after 7:30.

I travelled past a traffic jam (in the opposite direction, as it was early morning and I was leaving Auckland) and on into largely flat pastureland, mainly for cattle.

At the Thames bus station, I waited 45 minutes for what they said would be another bus that would take me to Sunkist Backpackers. It turned out that, although it was an Intercity vehicle, it was not a bus but a van. It is the usual vehicle for travel within the Coromandel. It dropped me at Sunkist within a few moments of our departure.

There are only two problems with this hostel: it lacks an oven, and the beds are hard. The absence of an oven hit me hard at first, almost as badly as the absence of heat. The owner tried to tell me that ovens are optional in New Zealand kitchens, and I suppose it could be true, but every hostel I've stayed in till now has had one.

Unfortunately, I found out about the lack after I had gone to the store. I am now struggling to learn how to fry steaks and chicken.

When I complained about the bed, the owner moved me into a smaller room, still with a double bed. I think the bed is slightly more comfortable. I hope I'll be able to sleep. There's a real chance I might not be able to, which is worrisome. Well, there are only three nights to get through here.

Thames itself is great. I'm right by the ocean, though there's no beach, as the coastline here is a mangrove swamp. There is a seaside walk that runs all through the town; conveniently, the hostel and the grocery store (a Pak 'N' Save) are both readily accessible from it.

There is a "bird hide" along the walkway, a small hut built for birdwatchers, with seating and an identification guide to the seabirds posted on the wall. I've spent quite a lot of time there already.

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