Hot Water Beach and Cathedral Cove
The viewpoint for the Cathedral Cove walk in New Zealand
Road Trip to the Coromandel Peninsula
It is strange to enter this blog post, as it is the final installment of our 5050 travel project, which involved visiting 50 countries in 50 months.
There will be more travel posts, but it will be outside the scope of the initial project that laid the ground for this site.
After almost a month in New Zealand, we had time for one more road trip starting in Lucas Heights near Auckland.
Our road trip from Auckland to Hot Water Beach, Cathedral Cove, and the Coromandel Peninsula
Our friends Sharon and Leighton recommended the Coromandel Peninsula to us. It is within easy driving distance of Auckland and offers beautiful scenery and beaches.
Auckland to Hot Water Beach
An accident on the highway in Auckland caused a bit of a delay, but after this, it was smooth sailing to Hot Water Beach, and the drive was approximately 3 hours.
We had booked a small family cabin at the Hot Water Top 10 Beach Resort, a popular campground/RV Park that also offered small cabins. This beach resort had an excellent atmosphere, and it had a community-style kitchen area, which we used to make our dinner.
Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula
Hot Pools at Hot Water Beach
After a quick rest, we rented a spade at the beach resort for $5.00 and headed towards the hot pools at the beach, a short 700-meter walk. There is a two-hour window on either side of the low tide when you can dig holes on the beach and create your own little hot tub.
We found it quite challenging. It was either lukewarm or too hot, and it took a lot of digging to create your pool. It is also a very popular tourist stop, and it was indeed overly crowded for our taste.
Some guests at the beach had struck the right balance and water temperature, so it is possible. Check out more about the hot pools at Top 10 Holiday Parks.
Where is the hot water? Trying in vain to dig a hot pool at Hot Water Beach in New Zealand
Cathedral Cove
It is only a 10-15-minute drive from Hot Water Beach to the trailhead of the Cathedral Cove Walk. Depending on your fitness level, the hike will take an hour or more, one way.
The hike is phenomenal. It takes you through a lush forest with amazing views of the Bay of Plenty and Hahei Beach. The final destination is a true gem, well worthy of being our final spot to hang out on our long journey.
Di at Cathdral Cove. A magnificent spot.
We probably spent a couple of hours on the beach and enjoyed our lunch there. The arch connecting the two beaches is one of the main draws, and the beach is out of this world. We swam, snapped photos, and were constantly in awe of our surroundings.
There were a good number of visitors at Cathedral Cove, but it was nowhere near as busy as Hot Water Beach, and at no point did it feel too crowded. Perhaps the hike-in deters some from making the effort.
We broke a sweat on the hike back and stopped several times to take in the view or catch our breath. We then walked along Hahei Beach, another marvel.
A beautiful sunny day at Cathedral Cove, New Zealand
Coromandel Peninsula
The drive back to Auckland circles Coromandel Forest Park. One of the things we have enjoyed the most is the difference between Canadian and New Zealand fauna and trees. The scenery on this drive did not disappoint and was spectacular.
We stopped at a café for coffees and delicious carrot cake and again at Coromandel where we shopped for lunch items at a supermarket.
The coast is never far away, Coromandel Peninsula
I wish I could say our drive back to Auckland went without a hitch but it was not so. Nothing too dramatic happened but suddenly there was no support in the driver’s front seat on the Mini we had borrowed. We went to a garage but they said it would take days to get parts.
We stuffed all our bags behind the seat and tried to give it as much support as we could. It did the trick and we made it back okay. Di later found a quick fix on Youtube.
The end of the road for our 5050 Travelog project. More travel to come down the line.
These words wrap up the final chapter for our 5050 Travelog project. There will be more travel and more blog entries along the way but travel will not be the same for us from here onwards.
5050 Travelog has been a life-changing, enriching, and amazing experience for us. It was fun to set a goal and to complete it when we landed in country number fifty but in the future, we will not be counting countries or experiences and will instead aim for quality over quantity.
Stay tuned for more travel stories and camera reviews.
Hahei Beach, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand
Diana at the Cathedral Cove Walk in New Zealand
5050 Travelog Destinations
All Travel Destinations
Europe
Southeast Asia
Middle East
Canada and USA
New Zealand
The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/1.4 R - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Capture One Express. I have used of Fujifilm film simulations for some of the photos.
