We rented the upper level of a Bach - short for "bachelor pad" (or "Crib," in southern part of the country) through the "book-a-bach" website. Originally, in the 1950s, the baches were very modest holiday homes meant to be affordable for and accessible to the middle class. In time, the basic bach has been replaced by the modern "holiday house", more substantial, more expensive, and usually professionally built.
Well, our bach was of the "basic" kind. We stayed in a small town called Whitianga. We chose it for its central location in relation to the other points of interest on the Peninsula.
But it had a nice view... well, nice enough...
These were taken on the beach across the street from our bach.
The beach was strewn with sea-shells.
The weather co-operated enough with our plans and we managed to see all the places we had put down on our itinerary. On our first full day in Whitianga, we went to play on the Hot Water Beach. Apparently, the beach has been voted one of the top 10 beaches in the world. It is famous because there are underground hot springs which filter up through the sand between the high and low water tidal reaches. People come to the beach, dig their own little pools and soak in the warm water. The beach is a popular destination both for New Zealanders and visitors. Unfortunately, we got to the beach during high tide... another time maybe... We still had lots of fun.
And then, we hiked to the Cathedral Cove in Hahei and saw some most amazing coastal scenery.
On Sunday, we went off the beaten path (literally, the road was "unsealed") and ended up finding a couple of spectacular beaches hidden away. First, we stumbled across the Otama Beach.
Then, we continued on to Opito Bay which was recommended to me by a colleague who grew up in that area.
The main attraction of this little excursion was to find the Red Rock and jump off it into the apparently the clearest water. I always wanted to do it - inspired by the Calvin Klein ad I had seen many years ago.
Well, as we set off on our tramp to find the Rock, it started pouring. I sent Eric and E back to the car and continued the search by myself. And took a few pics on my tramp.
I found the Red (more like pink) Rock but I was unable to actually get to it. Even if I were able to do it, it was too cold and wet to fancy a swim... Yet the views from the top of another hill I climbed were amazing and well worth getting soaked through.
Later that day, after we all had a nap, we ventured on another excursion. We drove on the Road 309, an unsealed road from Whitianga (east) to Coromandel Town (west). It is the alternative road to the main Highway 25. It is more attractive and less frequented one with many points of interest.
With some time constraint (our dinner reservation), we were only able to do a half of the route but it was still quite enjoyable. We stopped to buy some Manuka honey.
And saw the Giant Kauri trees.
These are called Siamese Kauris.
And these mailboxes were just interesting...
On Monday, we packed the car, and set off on our journey back home. We decided to drive to the other side of the Peninsula to Coromandel Town and then make our way along the west coast to Auckland.
These pics were taken on the way to Cormonadel Town.
In Coromnadel Town, we went on a train ride at Driving Creek Railways & Potteries. The place hosts New Zealand’s only narrow-gauge train ride (the especially designed passenger trains were built at the Driving Creek Railway’s own engineering workshop), a working pottery, and wild life sanctuary. Track laying began in 1975 by Barry Brickell and it took 15 years to complete). The one-hour return train ride takes visitors through replanted native kauri forest and includes two spirals, three short tunnels, five reversing points and several large viaducts as it climbs up to the mountain-top terminus, the Eyefull Tower. The Tower offers great panoramic views out over the Hauraki Gulf with the forested valley and mountains behind.
The west coast has a very different look from the wind-swept white beaches of the East. The beaches here are all rocky and rather uninviting.
There is so much more of Coromandel Peninsula that is worth experiencing. I'm sure we will be back there before we leave the Land of Kiwis.
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