Coromandel Coast
09.04.2011 - 15.04.2011
18 °C
Coromandel Peninsula
At Wahai Beach campsite there were Kiwis who had permenant carvans on site some with leantoos and other with sheds. How the councils see this one ? Only allow to be occupied for 80 days - but who counts. Some of the guys do seasonal worka nd we were given fresh avacardoes & our first kiwi fruit, normal and gold !! Flat White Cafe at Waihi Beach has free wifi a real treat and the food is very good. The weather at the moment is near perfect, sun but not too hot to stop you doing things, no wind and occasinal light cloud.
All Blacks peaking too early
Wahai a small town with a huge hole - Gold mine Martha - for every tonne of rock mined they get 3 grams of Gold and 15grams of silver. The 1903 Cornish pump house was moved 300m metres a couple of years ago as it was a condition of expanding the mine.. What a waste of money. There is a lot of local opposition to large scale mining on the Coromandel.
Kangahake Gorge mining hertitage areaprovided a walking experience through the old workings and tunnels - everthing has just been left and is decaying rapidly. The deforestation that occurred with the moning in only 5 years between 1892 &1897 is still evident in the surronding landscape.
Back to nature and onto Opoutere Beach -sand dunes and pine forest and yet another long sandy beach. Fishing off the beach with a motor boat that has a line with 25 hooks goes upto 1500m out to sea is a great way to fish. Quote of the trip so far by one guy on the beach " I had a chance to work today -Fish or Work - No contest !"
Hot Water Beach, Hahei Beach and Cathedral Cove all close just north of Opoutere. At Hot Water Beach at low tide you dig a hole in the sand and sit with your feet in very hot water produced by the hot rocks below. The surf on the Pacific 3m swell was great to watch. Gemstone Bay, Stingray Bay and Cathedral Cove all part of a marine reserve, all worth a day on their own but had to make do with an afternoon.
Hot Water beach at low tide gives the opportunity to scald your feet or other parts of your body. Water upp to 70c wells up and steams. After spending hours looking for this bird in South Island the Wrybills in their thousands or 50% of the worlds popoultion were on the Thames estuary near Miranda. As it cools here and slips in to Autumn - it appears there is some warming in Devon.
Posted by mwalkone 17.04.2011 13:42 Archived in New Zealand
