Drive to the Coromandel Peninsula & Hot Water Beach!

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Our departure day from the Northern Region greeted us with the first clear, sunny sky during our stay at the house called Zemmery Fidd. We headed down to town to get a couple of postcards and log onto the internet connection from the local hotspot. Neither Zemmery Fidd nor our next house at the Hot Water Beach is equipped with an internet connection, so we have had trouble getting email and posting to our blog.

The drive ahead started with the car ferry and then we were looking at a solid 5 1/2 hour drive to the Coromandel Peninsula. The Northern Region is the peninsula to the northwest of Auckland. We were travelling back through Auckland to the Northeast side of the North Island. Great driving weather.

On either side of Auckland we got to some nice 3-lane highways where it seemed we could really make time. However, the maximum speed limit in the country appears to be 100 km/hour and people actually obey it. Come on, Kiwis! We stopped at a big grocery store about an hour and a half from our destination, as we really weren't sure what options would be afforded to us on the peninsula. This turned out to be a good call.

We wound through the Coromandel Forest and finally started getting peaks of the ocean. Out of no where, we happened upon a smattering of houses, a car park and a total beach scene! It is a holiday weekend (Queen's Birthday) and the beach was fairly crowded, mostly with people packing up their cars.

Our house named the Te Puia Lodge is a hip U-Shaped structure across from the beach. The house has a modern design with all of the walls facing toward the patio in the middle are glass sliders. There is a nice spread of grass around the house and it should make for a great hang-out for the next five nights as we enjoy the beach and explore the region.

We will likely hit the beach tomorrow, although if the forecast looks equally good we could wait until after the holiday weekend. The beach gets its name because at about 2 hours on either side of low tide hot water creeps up through the sand in parts of the beach. This affords the opportunity to dig your own hot tub! Some areas actually get so hot that you have to dig channels to let the cool ocean water mediate the temperature. We have spades on the deck, and we are good to go!


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Photos

Theo hits the water!
It doesn't matter the time, temperature or situation. Theo on the beach = wet clothes!

Theo, again!
I couldn't decide between the two.

Comments

[Marie]

I don't blame you. Both pics of Theo are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I love hearing about your trip. Keep it up :)