Hot Water Beach, New Zealand, 26 February 2008
While back in Auckland for 2 more nights we filled in a few more of the blanks. First we went to the top of One Tree Hill made famous globally by the U2 sond of the same name. The views were excellent of the entire Auckland area. Next we went to the top of another nearby hill, Mount Eden. This also offers superb views across the city particularly the downtown area. Mount Eden is the highest volcanic cone in the area and you can look 50 metres down into the crater. Siteseeing over, there was time to go out for one last meal before bidding farewell to Auckland for the last time.
This time we pointed the car east to Hot Water beach and the Coromandel region. We stopped off in Thames, the main town in the region, for a drink/short break on route. It had a wild west feel. Like many towns outside the nearby cities it was very quiet. Hot Water beach is where, at low tide, you can dig yourself a hole in the sand and the water that you find is .... yes you guessed it, hot hot hot! With our tent erected it was time to find out when low tide would be the following day. 5.25am. Aargh!!! It actually worked out really well though because when we arrived at the beach it was still very much nightime and as we sat in our own private "bath tubs" looking out to sea we enjoyed a romantic moment watching the sun rise. The water was roasting too. We stayed about an hour because at that stage the advancing tide was starting to enter our baths with ever increasing frequency. Some smart people (maybe Germans, I don't know) had built a defensive wall around their baths which certainly appeared to offer them protection from the advancing cooler waters. We left happy with our experience. It's always exciting to do something you haven't done anywhere else in the world. 
Our next stop was Hahei and the beautiful Catherdral Cove. We didn't stay long at Hahei before driving to the head of a 40 minute walking trail that would lead us down to the cove. The weather was perfect. It was a deliciously hot sunny day. Catherdral Cove has a large natural archway that allows you to pass from one beach to another.... well, almost. At certain times of the tide, you need to roll up your trousers and wade those last 20 yards. This wouldn't be too bad were it not for the completely unpredictable waves. There would be a series of small waves so you think it is safe to make a dash, but as soon as you are half way across you will get blasted by a few biggies. It was a good laugh. We could've spent all day on the beaches as they really were picture perfect. We were a little envious of the kayakers who were enjoying hopping from beach to beach along the coast and catching a little sun bathing time at each one. Continuing on our whistle stop tour of NZ we drove to Rotorua.
The Thistle, enjoying a warmer climate than in bonny Scotland
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