Coromandel Capers

The drive out to the Coromandel peninsula was exhilarating. Winding roads on steep grades and hair pin turns along mountain cliffs made for hours of afternoon fun. And randomly dispersed around sharp corners are one lane, two-way bridges.

We stayed in Whitianga (we’re told that the ‘wh’ is pronounced ‘f’), a quiet little fishing town on the East coast of the peninsula. On our first day we went down to Hot Water Beach. At ‘Hotties’, as the locals call it, a volcanic fissure heats the sea water just under the sand at the edge of the beach. It’s a great spot and I was lucky enough to catch a little surf in the afternoon.

The next day we took the Glass Bottom Boat tour out to the marine reserve. Have to admit I thought it would be cheesy, but the excursion was really outstanding. We bounced up the coast stopping at different points, cliffs, and coves along the way. One of the highlights was Cathedral Cove in Hahei.

Full picture set here.