amisonsabbatical: April 2012

Something we'd been eager to do our entire trip was hike to the summit of Rangitoto. Rangitoto was formed nearly 700 years ago as a result of a series of volcanic eruptions, so it's relatively 'young' as far as this area goes.

We were up and at it early to get the first ferry out of Half Moon Bay, get to the city and then take another ferry from Auckland. It's a shame there is no direct ferry from the local marina because it is so close. You can see Rangitoto clearly from Half Moon Bay. Once we got to the island, we joined the masses and started our walk to the summit. It took about 50 minutes up. After eating, we walked around the rim of the volcano, though now it is covered in trees and growth, so apart from one look-out spot, it was hard to see the "crater". Once we got back to Auckland, we had a little time to kill so we got the kids ice cream and an adult beverage for ourselves and enjoyed the rest of the beautiful afternoon.

A little reading for those interested can be found by following these links... http://www.rangitoto.org/ and
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/auckland/hauraki-gulf-islands/rangitoto-island-scenic-reserve/

Auckland to Coromandel

On Tuesday, April 10 we left Auckland for one final family road trip. The weather was great as we drove to the Coromandel peninsula. We drove through Thames and suddenly were on the coast, driving along the Firth of Thames. It was bay after bay -- beautiful inlets -- too many to count!! We stopped to stretch our legs and have some lunch, then continued along the very windy road until we got to the Waterworks Museum. Here we explored water powered pumps, clocks, music box, flying bikes, and of course, it all ended with a good old fashioned water fight! Our holiday park was about 15 minutes from there and we found ourselves pleasantly surprised! The room was spacious with massive bunk beds - the kids slept WAY UP HIGH! After the kids had a swim, made a few friends on the trampoline, we ate grilled sausages. With the days getting shorter and shorter, we finished dinner then quickly went back to the trampoline and rec room for a bit more fun.

A run & kick-about before lunch...

Views from our picnic table

Another view from picnic table

Enroute to Coromandel

Waterworks Museum...

Klickity Klacks...

Spraying water!

Zip line

Flying cars!!

Jake the hamster

Water fight!

I wonder who liked it the best?

We had two of these MASSIVE bunks!

Coromandel to Hahei Beach

We woke to a great morning - but some wet weather was on its way. After packing up, we hustled to Whangapoua Beach. What a beautiful beach - good waves for Sofia to try out boogie boarding! We had the BEST part of the day that morning with a boogie board and swim in the ocean. We enjoyed a windy beachside lunch, then drove to Whitianga. We stopped for a shop, coffee and look about. The weather was sketchy when we hopped back in the car - the rain still hadn't caught us up but we could smell it in the air. We carried on towards Hahei, taking in Cooks Beach first. Another gorgeous beach! Perfect for beach soccer, beach cricket and swimming. I saw the cutest elderly couple walking towards the ocean for what appeared to be their afternoon swim! It was really cute. Of course, I had been told about Purangi Vineyard and so after we left the beach, we made a pit stop there. It turned out to be a really cool place to visit! AND, I actually sampled a Chardonnay that wasn't bad! I wouldn't order a glass, but I was able to finish the sample. We sampled tastes of a Sauvignon Blanc and a Merlot-Malbec. This place also makes a feijoa (NZ fruit - amazing!) liqueur that I sampled as a 'spritzer' - it was really refreshing! We ended up buying a small bottle of port and a bottle of Merlot-Malbec, which we'll drink on John's birthday. After this leisurely excursion, we got ourselves to Hahei and unpacked before the rain caught us up!

Enroute to Whangapoua Beach

Whangapoua Beach

Sofia & Daddy

Boogie Boarding!

Cooks Beach

Lil Missy

Purangi Vineyard

Hahei

The rain was pretty heavy during the night, but when we got up, the skies were clearing and there was lots of promise for a drier day. We hiked into Cathedral Cove - not a difficult walk (maybe 30 minutes in 30 minutes out). Another time I would love to do a kayak tour of the area. We had a snack, Sofia had a swim - well worth the small effort. Afterwards, we got organized to hit Hotwater Beach! We, along with loads of other people, dug into the beach at low tide and relaxed in hot pools of water! Some of the water was too hot to enjoy! This left us rather filthy, so back to the holiday park we went for a good shower. We treated ourselves to dinner out that night - a rare treat...

Looking out from the Cathedral Cove parking lot

From the start of the Cathedral Cove parking lot...

Entering Cathedral Cove

HOT WATER BEACH!!

AHHHHH...

Hahei to Whangamata Surf Beach

The morning was spectacular! Had we planned on sticking around, we'd likely have spent it at Hahei Beach (and then maybe another trip back to Cooks Beach). We had a short walk on the beach before leaving town. The drive to Whangamata did not disappoint. Whangamata was a typical holiday town - shops, restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream parlours, etc... all down main street. The surf beach was our destination. We got settled, ate lunch then donned our wetsuits and had a boogie board! The waves were perfect. We all had a great time. With just over two weeks left to go in NZ, we happily headed back to Auckland knowing that although there is still so much to do and see here, we've done a pretty good job getting a taste of some of the highlights.