Coromandel and on to the South Island

We left the Bay of Islands and drove 6 hours to the Coromandel peninsula on the coast, which is reached by driving on windy roads up and down the mountains. It was a holiday week-end and the traffic was heavy as folks from Auckland come to enjoy some of the beautiful beaches.

Along with a young couple from PA who were on their honeymoon, we took a day long trek around the coast, through a Kauri forest and into the caves of old gold mines. We also stopped at a hot water beach where people flocked to lie in pools of natural hot water springs. It was quite a sight, as you can see. The water was so hot that if you stepped into a bubbling pool, you would burn your feet.

The next morning, it was back to Auckland to fly to Christchurch in the North Island where we would meet Hugh and Georgia who would join us for the rest our trip in NZ. On our first day together we took a tripto the charming town of Akaroa, the site of the only French settlement in NZ.

Pics are of D&D on Coromandel peninsula; the Hot Water Beach; in the Kauri forest; with H&G on the way to Akaroa; and looking across the high summit route to Akaroa.