Wet Walks in Whitianga
Last weekend was the last long weekend we get in NZ until October. I was fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of the time off and our freedom to travel by road tripping to the Coromandel.
The cloudy skies reflected the dark and sad state of the world; however, the people I was with brought a lightheartedness that allowed me to escape.
Aidan was our driver in his trusty(?) Nissan Pulsar. He took us to his family farm on the way to grab supplies including lemons picked straight from the branch and feijoas. We also got to make friends with his dog, cat, and chickens.
Next stop was to meet up with the rest of the gang to get food in Thames (don’t pronounce the h!). Within our group of 8, there were several dietary restrictions as well as meanderers, so it ended up being an hour-long stop. Kiwi culture is definitely teaching me patience.
After finally getting some food, we made it to the Coromandel and tried to find Opoutere beach. We ventured down a long gravel road that lead nowhere, only to realize that the parking lot was at the start of the path. After sitting in the car for a bit, hyping ourselves up to go out in the rain, it lightened to a manageable drizzle! To get to the shore, we walked along a lovely wooded path filled with ~dangerous~ pines.
When we arrived, we were met with a beautiful rainbow that grew with time. As usual, Greg pulled out the frisbee and the whole group made their attempts to play.
Next, we drove to Whitianga to drop off our stuff at the bach, and catch golden hour at the local beach. Again, the frisbee came out, but this time all three Kiwis in the group braved the cold and went for a swim. It was a beautiful way to spend the last hour of light in the day.
All that frisbee worked us up an appetite, so we hit the town and ordered take-aways from various restaurants. While we were waiting for them, we went to Countdown to grab some essentials. Greg tried to buy beer which resulted in our whole group getting IDed.
We picked up the food, went back to the bach, and scarfed it down real quick. Then, the games began. We played King’s Cup around a teapot and Kieran was having none of it. Then, the most glorious dance party began when someone started playing the classics. We sang and danced our hearts out in pure joy.
A few of us intended to wake up to watch the sunrise at Hot Water Beach. We actually did wake up but it was to the sounds of torrential downpours, so we quickly decided to go back to sleep.
Once everyone was up we made a solid brekkie of poached eggs, toast, avocado, and hash browns. We were well fed for our trek to Cathedral Cove. It was picturesque, which is why so many people were taking pictures. It struck me that if it was somewhat crowded now, in rainy weather and with the borders closed, it must be crazy in normal summer conditions.
Half of the group headed back to the bach as our car went to get lunch. Aidan was set on us going to Opito beach but all I wanted was a nap and a shower. I didn’t want to miss out so I forced myself to go and it ended up being the highlight of my trip.
We walked along the beach with wind so strong it was hard to walk. Sand was being blown into our faces and we had to walk backwards at times, but somehow that made it more fun. We eventually got to the hill and had to climb a set of stairs that was almost vertical. The beautiful view of the beach, rocks, and water was well worth the trek to get there.
For dinner, we made a ton of Mexican food. We then played a game called pizza box, followed with some standard beer pong. In the morning, we went to one last beach before getting pies in the Coromandel town and heading home.
