Dolphins and Sulphur
Hello!
After our last post we have had a busy few days.
After leaving Auckland we drove down to the Coromandel Peninsula, spending the night in a very nice campsite by the sea.
The pensinsula is full of more gorgeous beaches and coves as seems the norm on the north island.
The next day we stopped off at Driving Creek Railway & Potteries.
Basically a potter who owned the surrounding land built a small section of track to the clay beds in the hills, but never stopped!
Nearly 30 years later the track is 3km in length and ever growing.
Some great views were to be had from the highest point of the track.
We then carried on down the coast to Cathedral Cove, a stunning beach with super clear water, great for snorkeling.
Another beach we stopped at on the journey south was the famous Hot Water Beach.
Here, during low tide, water rises from the hot springs below the sand.
Simply dig a hole and you have your own private spa.
The water really is hot (ie burns your feet) and the beach had great waves, which the dolphins seemed to enjoy surfing!!
We had another long drive to get to Rotorua where were were looking forward to seeing a Maori show.
As part of our ticket we had access to Hells Gate thermal park, full of hot pools, bubbling mud and steaming vents, all very smelly, as Rach will testify (though not near the smells of Atlantic Close!).
The same evening we got a shuttle bus to Tamaki Maori Village. Our driver, Sonny, was great, getting everyone on the bus up to sing.
The show itself was very good and the Hangi (food cooked in an earth oven) was excellent. One for the meat lovers!
The next day we had our day trip to the White Island, New Zealands most active sub-marine volcano.
Situated 30 odd miles off coast from Whakatani, it took a 1.5 hour boat trip to reach, though it was far from boring as a school of dolphins came to say hello!
Aside from the dolphins we saw offshore at Hot Water Beach, these were the first myself and Rach had seen in the wild.
They really are elegant, keeping up with the boat with seeming ease.It definately wetted our appetite for seeing more sealife when on the south island.
Once we reached the island we were given hard hats and gas masks, which looked very stylish!
The main crater area is full of toxic streams, more mud pools and the main crater lake.
People actually lived on the island to mine the sulphur, but it is now nature reserve.
The trip is definately worth it, if you are ever in the area. It’s like being on another planet.
We are now in Taupo preparing for an 8 hr trek around Mount Doom, from Lord of the Rings tomorrow.
We have to get a bus at 5.50am to the trail head, so it had better be worth it!
8 comments
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Well I feel not so jealous today as something exciting (ish) is happening, it’s snowing! This pic taken from my bedroom window. However I would much rather be in a pool of hot muddy water on a beach or on a Volcano! You both look really well, is that a new hat I spy Matt!
Love Fee x
Oh my god, prepare for the most strenuous walk of your life couldn’t walk properly for the next 2 days the walk is a solid 8 hours and 3 of it is all up hill enjoy the 3 main meals you have afterwards mate. Can’t believe how much it is snowing a good 3 inches not had snow like this for 18 yrs!!! Blackburn doing bit better, I won’t give anything away on the lost front
Have fun guys picks look awesome
Hi there,you both appear to be enjoying yourselves amongst that stunning scenery.Liked the picture of Matt the Miner !! Harry is crawling everywhere now,need eyes in your —!! We took him swimming yesterday at the rapids,good fun,he really enjoyed it. We have had our share of snow, it looks very pretty but not so when we have to get to work in it,wish we were off to enjoy it but hey ho we’ll carry on working for a living. Take care then folks,look forward to next instalment xxxxxx
Fee – Apparently ‘Matt the Hat’ is back?!
Al – completed the walk today and yes, I ache quite a lot. It was surprisingly not as bad as I thought it would be tho! I think any trek will seem achievable now in comparison to the Yosemite hike which near killed me. Matt is annoyingly not much worse for wear!
Rob – Matt actually did get overtaken by bus on the way to Cape Reinga!
Ria – sorry for the lack of leg photos – it really was too gross to publish! All better now! Miss you guys too x
Mum and Dad S – Please quit with the talk of snow and Harry developments at home! – you’re making me homesick!
Hey…. Did you know Catherderal cove …….Was where Prince Caspian walked out of in the Chronicles of Narnia!!!
you and Matt have to have a go at the Golfing into Lake Taupo… if you get it in you win Mega Bucks!!
Hi Mate.
Not seen Prince Caspian yet, but we did see the hole in one comp on Lake Taupo. I reckon the odds are better with the lottery, so I didn’t even try!
So what we are saying is Alex is a wimp and Matt is a slow coach!
You guys going to do a ski dive while in NZ, did mine over Lake Taupo.
Soon be getting to Queensland, and arse twitch time for Matty at the Nevis!!!!
Have been enjoying your trip so far, we have just had a ski hol in Courchevel,great snow. As your now in S Island Abel Tasman is also great from the sea you are kyacking as well I think.It’s 2 yrs almost to the date when I was in NZ. Lake Wanaka, Queenstown and some of the old gold mining towns all well worth a visit as are the vineyards for sampling. Mt Difficulty very good lunch. It’s one place I would go back to if Lance flew, some memorable days, BBQ’S & starry skies. Snow on the distant mountains at Wanaka pretty well picture perfect. Enjoy, you are so far. Just to make you jealous we are off ski-ing again in March Val Thorens, but I suspect you won’t be.
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