Catching the beaches....East and West

From our base in Tauranga we have been able to hit NZ's best beaches along both coastlines. Our first trip is up to the Coromandel Peninsula, the playground for generations. The dream over here for all self-respecting Kiwis is a quarter acre section [of land], a boat and a bach [holiday home].

And boy, are there boats and baches here in the Coromandel.

The West Coast route stretches from Thames - after the wider locality, the Firth of Thames was named by Captain James Cook in November 1769. To the Waihou River he gave the name Thames 'on account of it bearing some resemblance to that river in England'. Well, it is wet and smelly...

Certain of us prefer the later name of one of the two townships, Grahamstown (the other being Shortland), post- the discovery of gold there in 1867.

Nowadays, the town is home to a collection of arty types who have dropped out of the urban grind and run shops dedicated to city-centre graffiti art, upcycled porridge packets and anything rescued from French shoetiques.

Anyhoo, the coastal route runs along rocky shores and coves before the road rises sharply before dropping into Coromandel Town.

Maori carvings in Coromandel Town.

We stay in a lovely cottage in Pottery Lane with a garden full of songbirds and (as we are slightly surprised to discover - pheasants)

The afternoon is spent winding our way along gravel tracks which take us eventually to Jacksons Bay and the northern end of the Coromandel with stunning views out to sea.

The eastern side is quite a contrast with surf, sand and fabulous hot water beaches - at low tide bring your own spade, dig a big hole, wait for the thermal waters to fill it up, jump in and voila - a DIY spa pool!

The overnight stay in Tairua is restful; the hike up Paka Summit the morning more strenuous, but offering wonderful views.

Then along the coast to a number of magical bays - Gemstone, Stingray Bays and Cathedral Cove (one of the most photographed spots in NZ - check out Instagram, or look below at our amazing photos).

Tough days spent trailblazing in difficult terrain require suitable sustenance to keep explorers active. This, the Eggs-Centric Cafe (boy, these guys' wit knows few boundaries). Carrot cake break.

Fav venue here, though, is Whitianga with its sandy beaches, shops, cafes and cute foot ferry which transports you over to the originally-named Ferry Landing in a couple of minutes.

And above all, The Lost Resort spa, where you can relax in thermal pools - temperatures rise from one to another until the final scorchio (and appropriately-named Lava Pool) - and a man serves you beers all this time!

The west coast trip takes us over, past Cambridge and Hamilton, to the surf haven of Raglan. The drive through Waikato is divine, with rounded rolling hills and the peaks of ancient volcanoes.

It will probably be familiar to anyone who has seen Peter Jackson's film, The Lord of The Rings. For here, in countryside outside Matamata, is the setting for "Hobbiton'. Beloved of families with small children and thousand upon thousand of Asians, we decided to give the place a considered side-step. But here's a picture of it, anyway;

There are two main black sand beaches (it is the centre of volcano activity in NZ), Manu and Whale where the surf is considered some of the best in the country. Apparently, if you have the required level of skill, it's possible to catch a wave and cruise for up to two kilometres. Manu Bay (also known as The Point) was featured in the 1966 cult surfing movie Endless Summer.

The real treat, however, was a trip to Waireinga, or the Bridal Veil Falls, a 55 metre sheer plunge of the Pakoka river to a pool below, Once again on our travels, the photos simply cannot do justice to the drama of nature, but here is our best representation! Note small man (far away, qv) on the platform at the top of the fall.

As we leave Tauranga, many, many thanks to Wendy, Richie, Elsie and Harry for their hospitality in the North Island. Hope the new home continues to be a source of joy to you and we hope to see you very soon.