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| Bill, Kath & Sheryl on Otama Beach |
On returning from Australia, it was a quick turn around in
Auckland to get our Bus and car out of storage after 2 months (a farmer’s
paddock in Taupaki - a few cob webs and grass!), pack up with supplies and then
pick up our UK friends (Kath & Owen) who had flown in the day before, and
take them to the Coromandel where Kath wanted to celebrate her 50th birthday.
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| Our Base in Kuaotunu - very comfy |
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| Princess Kath keeping her feet dry on her birthday 😊 |
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| With Bill's birthday only a week later he was happy to share in Kath's tastings |
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| Our Host at HW Brewery entertaining us with stories and sampling his Liqueurs |
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| Much needed refreshments at the Pour House with Sam |
I had booked a Bach at Kuaotunu Beach on the Coromandel for us to
park up with our Bus for 4 nights to celebrate. When we had been making plans
before Christmas - Kath had said she wanted to come to NZ (they both love NZ
having had a few trips over the years out here) to celebrate her special day
with a swim at a beach and a BBQ.
Well the weather couldn't have been better- we managed to swim
every day ( beautiful beaches on that part of the coastline) and had BBQ's 3
out of the 4 nights ( would have been 4 out 4 but we ate out on Kath's actual
birthday).
We also managed to fit in two Brewery's and a kayak paddle on the
day too - both favourite activities for Kath & Owen.
Her actual birthday, the 17th, was perfect - we headed off to
nearby Otama Beach for Kath & Owen to head out in our kayak for a paddle.
It was a bit choppy for my liking but they are both confident paddlers so had
no issue heading off but staying inside the bay to avoid the choppier weather a
bit further out. After a pleasant paddle, it was off over the hills, through
pretty Whitianga and onto Hot Water Beach Brewery for some tastings and lunch.
This was delightful. The beers perhaps not overly impressive
however, but still welcome in the hot weather feasting on wood fired pizzas.
The added entertainment of the pizza chef humorously touting his
own families range of fruit liqueur with liberal tastings and dialect was not
to be missed, with us taking away more liqueurs than craft beer.
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| Can't go past a coffee when it's from a Kombi Van |
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| The perfect setting for Kath's birthday |
We moved on to Hotwater Beach proper for a look see, alas the tide
not good to have a warm dip, with some punters having excavated huge sand holes
to a depth of 2 metres or more indeed reaching the water table but
alas no bubbling warm water.
The Gallery at HWB is well worth a visit with lots of stunning
garden art indeed many forms of art. We spent some time perusing this wondering
where it could be put if purchased, alas though, not conducive to our current
procurement program.
From here a few minutes drive took us to Hahei Beach and the Pour
House, another craft brewery run by an English couple and their sons in a
lifestyle change they made many years ago and now well ensconced on the local
scene working hard enough to have a firm foothold with time enough to still lie
on the beach and play in the surf. A quick call to our friends Sam &
Pauline yielded a relaxed Sam able and willing to join us for a few drinks,
regaling us with some local anecdotes.
After a few beers we headed on to the beach for a late afternoon
swim before heading back to Kuaotunu for a well earned snack then bed.
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| Beautiful sun set over the Hills back toward Coromandel |
Our last day saw us heading to a much touted beach, New Chums
Beach, and indeed a nice enough beach…. well…. worth a visit anyway and some
amazing crashing surf to play and get dumped in albeit emerging with pockets of
sand and seaweed. Hope the gravel rash has gone now Owen. The beach is accessed
by a charming 30 minute coastal walk, which hordes of people do. Makes it a
little more difficult to enjoy a picnic with no facilities or services, so in
many sense quite enjoyably remote.
After a late lunch (Pizza’s at Lukes Kitchen, which we had heard
rave reviews from around the Coromandel), Owen seemed keen to land a fish. I
had secured a second reel so we went over the hill to a sheltered beach where
we went and launched the kayak to try our hand.
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| A little help with one brother as we passed through Ak again! |
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| And a beer with another on A&N's new deck |
We paddled into the lee of the headland and got some snags but
little in strikes and it was hard to stay put with an incessant gusty breeze
and large swell so we moved out of this position and drifted down the beach
passing over some better areas which yielded 3 baby brim between us, not to
keep and successfully liberated to grow for another day. This was a little
disappointing but still the thrill was there and a enjoyable 2 hours spent with
the girls keeping a watching brief from the beach.
Also on this last night, Kath & Owen generously gave us each a memento in
recognition of our enduring friendship, very generous of them.
Our 4 days went too quickly and we dropped our bus over the hill
at Matarangi for safekeeping at our new friends (Shannon’s In laws) Alan &
Margaret’s Bach while we went back to Ak with K&O to drop off at other
friends before they flew to Queenstown to carry on their whirlwind 3 week tour.
They have the advantage after so many trips this way of knowing exactly where they
want to go and the best way of getting there.
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| And another beer on Bill's birthday with the third brother & Wendy after a bike ride |
We, after bidding them farewell in Ak, carried on to Wayne &
Kate's to spend a night or two, visit Alan & Nicky in their new house which
they have finally moved into after many frustrating delays.
Then it was back to Matarangi to up lift the bus, with the added
bonus of Shannon &AC in residence but only staying the night not wishing to
crash their gig. Lovely catch up.
A quick ride around Matarangi on our ebikes in the morning before
we headed once more back to Waihi Beach. Stopping for a refreshing swim at
Whiritoa, normally a tricky surf beach but with the westerly winds an unusual
calm. W&K were ensconced at the beach whilst G&C were in Aussie
celebrating Evie’s first birthday.
And now a chance for bit of a catch up on chores, work and
washing in preparation of our upcoming planned Cambridge Cycle
trip.
