Friday 7^th February 2003
A beautiful day - the beach is deserted and the sky is blue but the first thing we need to do is shop for food - the second thing is to book some accommodation for the next few days. Actually first we try to book last two days in Auckland - but fail. Then next day at Tahiti lodge - but fail. Don't believe anyone who says you can just book as you go - well not if you want double/twin rooms in better hostels in the peak season anyway. Try all sorts of options and combinations and do eventually (after lunch) succeed in booking hostels for rest of our stay - not exactly what we want but an OK compromise we hope. At least we won't need to do that again. (We did try to book Saltwater Lodge but discovered that they wanted $90 for double room - not backpacker prices. Dorm prices are OK though.)

As soon as Pete is released from this frustrating chore he gets down on beach. Steve provides a "surf kayak" and Pete becomes wave rider for a couple of hours. A few successes, a few duckings, and one scary moment when he loses the kayak at the edge of his depth and has trouble getting ashore with paddle - there is quite a strong undertow. Never mind, he gets his confidence back and carries on. Glyn beachcombs then hides under beach umbrella.

We have ordered Sushi for tea. Hiroko makes tuna or chicken sushi for $6. Glyn does two plates of salad, strawberries. Pete does the watermelon. Laid out on low "Japanese" table looks a picture. Tastes really good too!

After dinner Pete plays table football with Steve (gets trounced) and then foursomes with two Germans. There is a dartboard too. Steve's Beachouse is another successful hostel, in the East Cape style. Steve & Hiroko are very friendly.

There is an East German couple staying. He is a tattoo artist and the conversation turns to his art. The Maori's tattoo their faces. Historically, they earn the face tattoo progressively by achievement in battle - but now young men simply pay to have their whole face done.

Saturday 8^th February 2003
As we are having breakfast are told that 10 sharks have been caught on the beach and hurry out to see. A family have had a tangle net out overnight and caught a number of small "sharks" including one small hammerhead.

We say farewell to Steve & Hiroko and set off up the coast towards Tauranga. Glyn contacted Margaret (Kirk) last night who is living at Papamoa, which is on our way today. When we get there we stop and get directions to the house where she is house-sitting. We stop briefly for tea and biscuits - and photo. As we leave, Margaret shows us the beach which she says is "the best". Then on to Tauranga where the fleet for the Round Alone single handed round world yacht race is currently moored. Pete has a look at the boats then we press on - we have many miles ahead still.

At Margaret's Pete discovers that he still has Steve's room key - oops! Leave Margaret to ring him while we stick the key in an envelope and look for a post office. Randomly choose Katikati to stop. Post the key and then when looking for a loo meet an old friend of Ian & Sylv's - they will know who! Eventually arrive Whitianga late afternoon and check in to On The Beach backpackers. Big place, YHA & BBH and like most YHA's there are many orientals here, but we have also met someone who knows Torridon well - Katy Paget who is a friend of Alison and Caroline Gregory!

The view from the lounge is excellent looking out across the bay. Sit in the window eating our water melon.

It is our intention here to visit Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove. The former needs us to be there an hour either side of low tide which unfortunately is 7:30 tomorrow morning or evening. Glyn is convinced the evening will be crowded so we have decided to get up early and go for the morning. We collect a spade and beach towels from reception in readiness.

Sunday 9^th February 2003
Up at 6am and see the sunrise as we eat our breakfast - actually manage to get to Hot Water Beach at 7am. The Cathedral Cove Marine Reserve lies just to the east of Whitianga and south of Mercury Bay but we have to drive inland and around the large Whitianga Harbour to get there - taking about 40 minutes to Hot Water Beach. We find a few hardy spring diggers already at the good spots. Take their advice on where to dig and soon have a pool which is too hot on one side and too cold on the other! It takes a lot of digging and some blisters to achieve a huge crater of lovely hot water (keeping clear of the area that burns!) In fact we channel into the hot spring and end up with the water too hot everywhere! Are told the water temperature is 64C but seems more. Then sit and wait for the tide to come and cool us off. Sun steadily rises and with the cicadas getting noisier in the pohutukawa trees backing the beach, its very tropical. The tide actually takes another two hours (and we thought we had to hurry!) Meanwhile lots of tourists come to stare at us and are invited to feel the temperature in the hottest part as we are in the bearable bit. An English family with three small children who have come to live in NZ recently join us in the pool for the finale, and what a good one - we were one of two fortified pools remaining when the sea broke through with a rush taking us unawares, sweeping us and the hot water out the back of the pool. Great fun for adults and children alike.

Glyn was probably right to go early as numbers at the pools were not too bad (less than 20 most of the time). While on the beach we watched the surfers further along and a big crowd has now arrived. These seem to be Junior Lifesavers and they are having a coaching day. Lots of little children set off under orders into the big surf - diving through the waves on the way out and swimming hard with the waves on the way back. Another group are having a beginners surfing lesson in a lagoon/river area.

Released from the increasingly hot sun (we had been on the beach for nearly 4 hours!), we make our way to Shakespeare's Cliff and Lonely Bay. Unfortunately the trek down to the cove is steep and takes it's toll on Glyn's knees but the beach is really lovely and not many people on it so we swim and eat lunch, sleep a bit to make up for the early start and do a bit of beachcombing - lovely shells. Despite sheltering under the cliff from the sun, Pete later discovers has got a bit burnt.

On the way back to hostel stop at Wilderland (organic fruit and vegetable "shop") for some supplies. There is an old fellow called Dan in a wheelchair who it would appear has built a number of "toys" for customers to play with outside. These are playground toys including a roundabout operated by cranking a handle, a swing, a pump, and a "jigger-me-do" railway. The latter is a railway cart which is hand operated (similar to those in Westerns) by cranking a handle up and down. Pete persuades Glyn to take a ride with him and we visit both ends of the short track. All very eccentric.

Monday 10^th February 2003

Not too far to go today. Across the north end of the Coromandel peninsula and down the west side to Thames. We take our time and stop at Coromandel Town for coffee and muffin and to peruse the newspaper for a while. Then drive north a short way to get the lie of the land. Another of the hostels that had been recommended was at Colville, but this was too far on a twisting road. We have been told that the north end of the peninsula is largely unspoilt with some excellent bays and beaches. North of Colville the road is unsealed and steadily deteriorates but we didn't have time on this trip to explore. We turn around and head south along the Pohutukawa Coast. These trees line the road which hugs the coast and must be stunning at Christmas when they are all in flower.

At Tapu a road crosses to the east at Coroglen and a short distance (6km) up here is the Rapaura Water Gardens which we visit. Nice with several lily ponds, numerous water features and a short bush walk to some falls (seven steps to heaven). Stepped with pools at each step and look almost manmade. Sit on a rock and eat our lunch.

Drive on to Thames and Sunkist Backpackers. In big old kauri house. Unfortunately, our welcome is not over friendly and for the first time our passports are required. Our hostess seems suspicious of the fact that we have consecutive passport numbers! We are not shown around but find our way to the kitchen where there are very aggressive notices requiring people to "do their b****y washing up, this is not a hotel"! Then in our room is a notice regarding anti-social behaviour - no guests or alcohol in rooms, no noise after 10pm - any infringements will result in being told to leave. It is all rather offputting. We can understand the problems but don't feel the approach is right. The washing up problem is perennial and Steve at Opotiki said he had to put up a notice asking people to wash up. He then had to change it to wash and dry up, and then again to wash, dry and put away! Most hostel owners seem to have resigned themselves to the fact that most people are good about it but there will always be some clearing up left to be done. This hostel is also in the VIP group and has many people arriving on buses including Magic and Kiwi Experience. Certainly seems a different mix of people - lot more Brits. Hostel itself is fine with good facilities and nice garden.

Nip out to Internet shop where find nice cooperative couple, fish shop for some schnapper fillets, butcher and greengrocer. Pete fries fish which is excellent with Glyn's salad.

Tuesday 11^th February 2003

Plan today is for Pete to walk up to the Pinnacles in the centre of Coromandel Peninsula. Drive up Kauaeranga valley (the "Valley") to DOC centre and on to roadend (10km unsealed road). Follow signed path up old packhorse track along Webb creek to the old hydro campsite, then to Pinnacles Hut and finally the ascent to Pinnacles themselves. Eroded volcanic region of lava flows and volcanic plugs. Pinnacles quite precipitous and in two places there are fixed ladders - not entirely necessary but useful anyway. Excellent views from top, both to west and east coasts. Generally overcast, and islands off west coast appear to be floating in the sky. About 2 hours to summit. On the way back down visit Pinnacles Hut which looks very comfortable and an old kauri dam. When the kauri logs were taken out of this area, the only way to get them down was to to dam the creeks until there was enough water to drive the logs down the valleys. This dam (Dancing Camp) was the second largest of 10 used. They were constructed to be released and then rebuilt. The most logs driven in one go from here was 28000! Instead of returning by same route, follow Billygoat track into adjacent valley. This valley has a 180m waterfall which prevented logs being driven down. Instead trestle bridges were built so that they could be dragged, and then a railway incline was constructed (maximum slope 1:2.7). Steam engines were used for dragging and raising carts on the track. Little remains of all this work but the line of the incline is apparent.

Back to hostel. Glyn has been busy and we have beef curry followed by plum crumble - very nice.

Meet a Scot, Andy (Activities) who has links with Loch Torridon hotel and knows Roger Grocott.