Firths, coves and trundlers.

Today saw us depart the apartment in Auckland and jump onto Highway 1 south. It was a pretty overcast day, with rain threatening for much of the trip. The folks in charge of setting speed limits seem to have it a bit mixed up - with an 80 km/hr limit on the free-way, 70 on Highway 2, and then 100/unlimited on windy rural roads. We passed one township that reminded the elderly occupants in the car of an 80s all-female trio from the UK.

Apparently it was a cruel, cruel summer in Ramarama.

We could have proceeded due east (saving about 30 minutes), but instead took the left at Tapu (no mirth from the back seat, as all were asleep) and followed the western coast of the Coromandel Peninsular. We briefly stopped at Thames, simply so I could take a photo of the Firth - mainly due to me having no idea what a Firth was. Turns out it is a coastal river mouth that has eroded into an estuary (isn't learning fun?!).

The Firth of Thames (not of Colin).

We've been caught out by a couple of Lonely Planet suggestions, so were a little wary of their gushings over the Waiomu Beach Cafe. The leaden seas (okay firths) and biting winds were not an incentive to venture out of the car - but venture we did. The place was the real deal - home made pastries/vast range of decadence, as well as great coffee and genuinely friendly people.

Please note the chocolate fish.

Jen offered to take over the driving as we took a right at Tapu, crossing the mountainous centre of the Coromandel Peninsular via the Tapu Coroglen Road. It wasn't just the unceasing, winding, unsealed blind corners - it was the added thrill of episodic single lane bridges, where the opposite end was not visible. There was a sense of shared shock as vehicles would appear from nowhere, nervous giggling erupting in the front seat.

Don't you just love surprises?

We made it to the eastern side of the peninsular, and made our way to Hot Water Beach - a spot touted as a must-do in many guides on the area. We'd timed the tides to arrive within an hour of low tide for the best opportunity to kick back and relax in a freshly dug hole in the sand (warm water from the volcanic soils below providing the heat). The overcast conditions, and it being a weekday would surely leave the place practically deserted.

Not really, as it turns out.

The place was saturated with tourists (local and foreign) all armed with tiny spades, digging impressively large holes in flagrant disregard of several work, health and safety guidelines. We got invited into a fairly large pit by a particularly industrious family. I can confirm that the water was somewhere between tepid-to-lukewarm, rather than hot as such. To be fair, the nearby water was akin to the ice bath at Kelly Tarlton's. 

The kids were a little deflated (the elder two not keen to leap into other people's trenches, while Josh was hoping for a full-scale excavation), as we set off again. Our next stop was Hahei Beach and (more specifically) Cathedral Cove Walk. After some deliberation (surely it wasn't that far to the entrance), we purchased a bus ticket from the car park in town to the start of the walk. After passing a number of wheezing people still on their way up a largish hill just to get to the walk, we felt a little better (aka unseemingly smug).

The signs were indicating a 40 minute walk each way - but it didn't take that long (although the views weren't the only breath-taking things on the path).

The final part of the track involved a series of very steep timber steps down onto the sands of Cathedral Cove itself (a nice little reminder of your journey back). 

The Cathedral part of the Cove -
inclusive of signs warning of rocks falling on your head.

Coming out the other side.

The place was pretty busy - but it was undeniably lovely: white sands and turquoise waters. This is a place I think we'd come back to if we're ever back in NZ. After attempting to bury Hamish's foot (as you do), we set out on the return trip.

Can report: the Martin kids
successfully avoided falling boulders.

No idea how the local Life Savers get here
(I'm assuming fitness has something to do with it).

We finally made our way to Whitianga, and our very retro but very clean Motel room for the night. Picking up some supplies at the local Countdown (it's so not a Woolworths), we noticed the trolley bay making a mockery of the English language once again.

Don't you hate it when a trundler runs over your jandle?