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Published: November 14th 2018
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13th November
In two minds whether to stay at the Long Bay campsite another day, decided to head to the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula towards a place called Cathedral Cove.
Set my sat nav and off I go, I think the signal is very poor as For the first 15 mins we end up doing loads of U turns as she was telling me turn after we had already passed the junction. She eventually gets her bearings and off we go on the rollercoaster ride that is New Zealand roads. We are in for a couple of hours of concentration up steep roads and around tight bends with nothing to break my fall if I misjudged a corner apart from a wooden fence about 18 inches high.
I get stuck behind a lorry who is almost a standstill trying to climb the hill, I drop down to second gear and stay behind him going 20 kph at the most, sometimes we drop down to 10kph. It gives me a chance to take in the scenery. The lorry pulls over into slow vehicle bay after a while. Which means I am now the lead vehicle on the rollercoaster of 4 cars. I pull over at the earliest opportunity to let the pass me as I feel a little pressured when I have cars behind me to faster than I am really comfortable.
Eventually we stop climbing and head downhill; which is scarier than up hill as you might just take corner too fast because of the momentum of going down hill.
Oh my god; there I a lady cycling up hill, that is proper hard core.
Get to a place called Whitianga, on Mercury Bay, have lunch and an afternoon walk on the beach and carry on with my journey to Cathedral Cove. I book myself into a lovely camp site, Hahei Holiday Resort, for the night; but am a bit concerned that the notice board gives you instructions on what to do in the event of a tsunami!
After I find my pitch and do a reccy of the site I sort the van out and think about tea. I have company, a very large duck basically begging like a dog. I bend down to pick something up, look up and his beak is about 6 inches from my nose. He has no qualms and stares me out, he then spots the lettuce plants on the floor and just helps himself, then he spies the basil plant. I have to be quick to put it all back in the van otherwise he would have it all.
I make a cuppa and am entertained by the local bird life. I have a few feathered neighbours tonight, Californian Quail, Blackbirds, Song Thrush, a male Pheasant, Sparrows, Dunnocks, Chaffinch, and Red Billed Gull. Not forgetting that pesky duck which is now annoying other campers, he is persistent, I will give him that.
I go for a walk along the beach and come back with a bit of an appetite, have a rummage and come up with couscous, peas, carrot, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and seeds.
Whilst sat down eating my food the bloody duck makes a bee line for me and flys straight at me.
It starts to get dark, so make final cuppa of the day and turn in.
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