January 19, 2019
We got up at dawn, excited for our first full day of sightseeing in New Zealand. I was ready to go, having experienced very little jet lag. Apparently our strategy of getting up late and staying up late in Denver the week before was successful.
The weather was cool and mostly cloudy. Our destination for the day was Whitianga, approximately a 1 hour 40 minute drive. We drove north from Thames along a coastal highway. There was little traffic, which was a good thing since the road was quite narrow and twisty in spots and I was still trying to get used to driving on the left.
Our first stop was a lookout along the coast. The sun came out and it was quite nice.
Then we drove the 309 road to Waiau Falls. This was a short walk through a rainforest to see a small waterfall. It was quite nice, and nobody else was there.
Next stop on the 309 road was a hike to the Kauri trees. At the trail entrance was a Maori guide giving a survey regarding what we thought about Kauri tree protection. We noticed at the start of the trail there was a cleaning station which we used to wash and disinfect our boots. Kauri tree dieback disease is a serious problem in New Zealand, and I was glad to see steps were being taken to protect the trees.
The Maori guide said a little prayer and then sent us on our way. The Kauri trees were quite nice. The Siamese tree had two trunks growing out of the base.
We did not take the entire 309 road (it was gravel and narrow) but instead turned around and drove to the town of Coromandel. It seemed like a very cute, touristy town and not one I would want to spend much time in. Past the town was Long Bay. There was a small beach near a campground. I did not think it was pretty and the campground was crowded. It was not worth the stop.
Next we drove up a very narrow, steep and twisty road to Tokatea lookout. We lost some time there since we started walking down a gravel road to find the trailhead. After 20 minutes of walking we realized we had gone the wrong way. After returning to where we had parked the car, we found the correct trailhead. It was a steep climb up a hill to the overlook. We had a panoramic view of the town of Coromandel and the coastline. Unfortunately many of the trees were overgrown, obscuring the views. Maintenance is needed there to trim the trees. I read afterwards that better views were found across the road and up a steep hill where the cell towers were located.
We drove back to the main road and turned south and east. We drove to the east coast, which was much prettier and had many beautiful white sand beaches. We parked the car at Whangapoua Beach, and then we walked about a half mile to New Chum Beach. New Chum was gorgeous and undeveloped. It reminded me of a beach on Kauai. I could easily spend time there, although the water was too rough for snorkeling.
On the hike back from New Chum Beach, I wandered down to the edge of the ocean at Whangapoua Beach. I wanted to dip my hands in the ocean to feel the temperature of the water. About 10 feet from the ocean, I looked down and spotted a sand dollar! It was in excellent condition with no broken edges. I was shocked at my good luck. As a kid I looked for sand dollars on the beaches of Florida and never found any. On my first day on a New Zealand beach I found one without even trying.
We drove further south and found a nice spot for a picnic lunch. Across the water we were able to see New Chum Beach in the distance. It was very pretty.
Next we took a side road to Otama Beach. That road was the worst encountered so far for being steep, narrow and twisty. The beach was okay, but I did not think worth the effort to get there. We decided to skip the lookout that was further along that road.
We drove to the town of Whitianga and went to the Z station for our first gas fill up. I was able to use the 6 cents per litre discount coupon that we got at Pak N Save the day before. I also discovered that American credit cards do not work at any self service gas station in New Zealand since they are chip and signature cards, not chip and pin. This is going to be a pain in the neck to deal with since we will always have to go into the store to pay. If there is no attendant around we cannot get gas there. That rules out some of the cheaper self serve stations.
We found our lodging at Albert Mews B and B. The owners were very friendly and welcoming. There was a garden out back where we could pick fresh tomatoes. There was a separate breakfast room with a refrigerator stocked with orange juice, milk, yogurt and fruits.
We were within walking distance of a ferry to the other side of the cove. In the evening we took the ferry and then hiked to Shakespeare Cove. There were great views of the surrounding ocean and beaches from the top of the bluff. Very few other people were there: it was so quiet.
On the way back we wanted to try the fish and chips in the takeout store that was recommended to us by the owners. But the wait was over an hour. Instead we stopped at the Four Square market to buy dinner: some frozen Watties chicken and rice, and sweet and sour pork which we took back to the room to microwave. They were small portions but good.
The bed was very comfortable and I got a great night’s sleep.