The Coromandel

Last weekend I travelled to the Coromandel, which is well known throughout New Zealand for its beautiful scenery. Unfortunately I could only stay for the day, otherwise I would have quite like to have stayed overnight. There was a free bus that collected you from the ferry and took you into town, or you could get free transport to your accommodation - a pretty good deal if you ask me! The weather was fairly good,  a little windy, but not too bad. Coromandel town itself is absolutely tiny, it mainly consists of takeaways, bars and coffee shops for the tourists. There are a few gift shops, and some bait and tackle places for the fishermen, but that's about it. I took a picture of the hustle and bustle of Coromandel for you all to see. I had to ask the crowds to stand behind me so I could get a clear view of the main street, but as you can see, they were very obliging.

I arrived at about 11am and the ferry was due to leave at 4pm, so I didn't really have a lot of time. I decided to take a walk out to the end of a peninsula that was fairly close by. I took a few pictures of the surrounding scenery just as I left the township. I'd have loved to have scaled some of the mountains, but time was limited :(

The walk out to the peninsula was very hilly, and pretty tough going. The views were spectacular though, and some of the houses along the way were very quaint. They would make an excellent holiday home. There were some nice looking islands around the peninsula, maybe I should just inhabit one of those instead!

I made my way down to a small pebbly beach called Wyuna Bay, right at the end of the peninsula. I decided to stop here and eat my lunch (homemade sushi), and take in the scenery. Although the beach wasn't at all sandy, it was very sheltered and nice to get away from the wind.... and the crowds of course ;)

After lunch, I decided to walk back towards town and took a detour along a forest walk. The region used to be a gold mine, but it was long gone, The locals had decided to try and rejuvenate the area by planting new Pohutakawa trees, which are native to New Zealand. It was a nice short walk, with a lookout area at the top. As I got towards the top, it unfortunately began to rain. At first I was quite angry as I was getting soaked, but as sheltered under the trees I saw a beautiful rainbow which more than made up for the soaking. I wish that there really were pots of gold at the end, because I would have almost certainly been the first one there! 

I waited for the rain to stop and then made my way down the side of the hill to the end of the walk, and carried on back into town. I looked in a few of the gift shops, and ended up purchasing some earrings and a necklace. I also bought a bottle of wine and made a short stop in one of the local bakeries for a blackberry and apple crumble pie and a plain apple crumble pie. I was going to eat one immediately, but then decided I'd prefer them warmed with a 'dash' (i.e. litre) of custard. I was feeling slightly peckish though, so made a stop in one of the takeaways. I purchased a portion of 'kumara' (the Maori name for sweet potato) chips, which came with a huge dollop of sour cream for dipping. Of course I had a feathered audience the entire time, but they didn't distract me too much. The chips were delicious and tasted slightly unusual, but the hot and slightly sweet chips went well with the cooling soured cream. I think I still prefer normal chips, but was glad to have the experience!

After my snack I climbed back on the bus which took us all back to the ferry. Once I had boarded the ferry I took a few snaps of Te Kouma Harbour and the local wharf in the sun. I was disappointed I didn't have more time to spend in the Coromandel, but have already bought another voucher which is valid until the beginning of October. Hopefully the weather will be a little warmer, and I can find a long weekend free for my next expedition.

Once the ferry had returned to Auckland I made my way to the local supermarket to purchase some custard ready for my delicious crumble pies. The very first thing I ate when I got in was the apple and blackberry crumble pie with custard. It was gorgeous, I'd definitely buy it again! I had the apple one the next day, and that was also scrummy :) Not sure what my next trip will be, but I will be sure keep everyone updated via the blog. I imagine that it will involve some sort of food though!