Coromandel

Morning was a bright sky, followed quickly by the rising of a pale sun, and the arrival of men taking their boats out into the Firth of Thames in the new light.

Good morning, New Zealand

After a simple breakfast of muesli and banana, we journeyed onward to the eponymous town of Thames and started the trail around the Coromandel peninsula.

Following the SH25 took us along the west coast of the peninsula, hugging the coast tightly with many tight bends that saw K squirm in the passenger seat as she saw nothing below her but the sea.

The views were spectacular, and we stopped many times to drink in the splendid sights.

Firth of Thames

Our route soon brought us into Coromandel town, where it turned sharply in land and up a steep hill. This vertical trend continued and the van struggled up to the top, affording us further views into the distance.

Spectacular Coromandel

The journey was a feast for the eyes as well as a fun drive. We took a break at Whitianga (remember the 'wh' makes an 'f' sound) to feast our palates on ice cream by the seaside. The weather was obligingly clear and warm for the whole day - a contrast to the recent schizophrenic showers.

East coast peninsula

Our day's journey ended at Seabreeze campsite near "Hot Water Beach". After checking in, we went to discover what lies behind this unusual name. On the way, we took a round-trip walk along the stunning coastline to Cathedral Cove. The cove itself is nothing special, but the views out to sea are breathtaking.

Gem coast

This section of the coast also provided us with the first opportunity to watch New Zealanders take to the waves.

Surfing is my church

At Hot Water Beach, naturally geothermally heated water lies just beneath the sandy surface. However, at low tide, the sea recedes just enough to allow those willing and able to dig a small bath, which will fill with the 65°C water. This is too hot to bathe in, and so must be mixed with cooler sea water.

Ironically, we didn't have to wait long for the cooler sea water to arrive, as the water's edge had ebbed only slightly. Every tenth wave or so rushed onto the sliver of beach, simultaneously filling all the painstakingly dug holes and demolishing the surrounding sand barricades built to protect them from just such an event. It was a sisyphean exercise in futility.

Everyone had come armed with a spade or shovel and was digging frantically in search of hot water before the arrival of the next deluge. There was an air of mania, similar, I imagine, to the frenzied times of the gold rush in Australia. Every now and then, the following exchange between 'prospectors' could be heard: "Is it warm there?", "No", would come the dejected response. We tried several locations, occasionally feeling the scalding water tantalisingly beneath our feet, but eventually gave up trying to corral it into a pool. There appeared to be a section of only a square metre or so in which the water was close enough to the surface to create a functioning bath. Once this had been discovered, the pool was expanded into a communal bath.

The haves and the have-nots

Back at the campsite, we roasted up the entire contents of the cool box (or 'chilly bin' as it is known here) on the ubiquitous barbecue facilities provided in New Zealand. Owing to the hot water prospecting, we returned later than anticipated, and so barbecued largely by darkness and the fleeting flash of torchlight. We mixed the roasted vegetables into a warm rice salad and enjoyed it in the comfort of the van.

I'm amazed it turned out as well as it did

Fortunately, our search for the next precious liquid met with greater success.

Cold beer at zhot water Brewing Co.

The Seabreeze distinguishes itself by having a brewery on site. The Hot Water Brewery brews a pale ale, a porter, and a steam ale as standard. When we arrived, there were two other additions of an IPA (amusingly named "About Time"), and a barley wine (apparently unnamed). We sampled these two as well as Walkers Porter and all were far better than we had any right to expect from such a small, out-of-the-way operation and compared favourably to craft beer we have tried from other world-renowned NZ establishments.