Right. So im now in Taupo for the second time in my life.
I left the Coromandel after staying a night in Hahei Beach on the west coast of the peninsula for a night. The drive from Coromandel Town to there was a nice one. The road is super twisty and made its way steeply up over the mountains with a superb viewpoint both East and West at the pass summit. I was unsure where I wanted to end up so I was driving without purpose, stopped where I like to check the area out and see if I could stay there for a day or two. In the end I made the decision to stay as close to the places I wanted to visit – that place was the retirement settlement of Hahei. I stayed in an elderly couple’s spare room which was odd as the sign outside said it was a backpackers! There was another sleeping there which made it better. A German guy who was bussing it around. The same evening I arrived, my hosts advised me that it was low tide on Hot Water Beach where I could be able dig my own hot spa in the sands. I grabbed a spade and headed on over right away. Turns out I was about 2 hrs early so had to hang around to wait till the tide had retreated. I got talking to an Irish bloke, Dan, who had been sleeping in his campervan for the last 11 months trying to get a cd recorded – which he had done successfully only a few days earlier. He told me to check it out at www.myspace.com/14folk which I shall do as soon as I get to the internet. We decide to wade into the surf and wriggle our feet into the hot sand below. It was a weird sensation having burning souls and freezing calves. It turned out that due to sand erosion the tide didn’t go out nearly as much as it used to so only about 5m of the hot spot was exposed with about 30 people wanting to get in on the action – it was standing room only. The water beneath the sand was between 60-64 degrees Celsius. HOT! Dan had managed to wriggle his way in and grab a bath!
Next morning I took a walk to Cathedral Cove – a magnificent limestone arch. It was a sunny morning and a walk was just what I needed. It was only a 2hr round trip but well worth it. The drive south took be through kiwi fruit country and I spotted a giant model of a kiwi in Te Puke. I debated stopping in Rotorua but decided to carry on to Taupo as I prefer it as a town as a base for the area. I remembered a hostel I stayed in last time so checked in to that. Problem was all the rooms were being decorated to I was in a shed out back with the most uncomfortable bed in the world. Still, it was a bed. I checked out the next morning a set off exploring thee geothermal areas around town. Craters of the Moon was the first stop. An area full of bubbling mud pools and escaping steam – I love this kind of stuff! Even if the sulphur dioxide stinks! I then re-visited Huka Falls and went on further up stream to a dam and witnessed one of the twice daily sluice openings to fuel the hydro station further down the Waikato. On retuning to town I checked into Rainbow Lodge another hostel which is much busier. The dorm im sleeping in is inhabited by a group of snoring girls from Taiwan so not much sleep last night! The rooms are heated though which is good when it's -4 outside!
I left the Coromandel after staying a night in Hahei Beach on the west coast of the peninsula for a night. The drive from Coromandel Town to there was a nice one. The road is super twisty and made its way steeply up over the mountains with a superb viewpoint both East and West at the pass summit. I was unsure where I wanted to end up so I was driving without purpose, stopped where I like to check the area out and see if I could stay there for a day or two. In the end I made the decision to stay as close to the places I wanted to visit – that place was the retirement settlement of Hahei. I stayed in an elderly couple’s spare room which was odd as the sign outside said it was a backpackers! There was another sleeping there which made it better. A German guy who was bussing it around. The same evening I arrived, my hosts advised me that it was low tide on Hot Water Beach where I could be able dig my own hot spa in the sands. I grabbed a spade and headed on over right away. Turns out I was about 2 hrs early so had to hang around to wait till the tide had retreated. I got talking to an Irish bloke, Dan, who had been sleeping in his campervan for the last 11 months trying to get a cd recorded – which he had done successfully only a few days earlier. He told me to check it out at www.myspace.com/14folk which I shall do as soon as I get to the internet. We decide to wade into the surf and wriggle our feet into the hot sand below. It was a weird sensation having burning souls and freezing calves. It turned out that due to sand erosion the tide didn’t go out nearly as much as it used to so only about 5m of the hot spot was exposed with about 30 people wanting to get in on the action – it was standing room only. The water beneath the sand was between 60-64 degrees Celsius. HOT! Dan had managed to wriggle his way in and grab a bath!
Next morning I took a walk to Cathedral Cove – a magnificent limestone arch. It was a sunny morning and a walk was just what I needed. It was only a 2hr round trip but well worth it. The drive south took be through kiwi fruit country and I spotted a giant model of a kiwi in Te Puke. I debated stopping in Rotorua but decided to carry on to Taupo as I prefer it as a town as a base for the area. I remembered a hostel I stayed in last time so checked in to that. Problem was all the rooms were being decorated to I was in a shed out back with the most uncomfortable bed in the world. Still, it was a bed. I checked out the next morning a set off exploring thee geothermal areas around town. Craters of the Moon was the first stop. An area full of bubbling mud pools and escaping steam – I love this kind of stuff! Even if the sulphur dioxide stinks! I then re-visited Huka Falls and went on further up stream to a dam and witnessed one of the twice daily sluice openings to fuel the hydro station further down the Waikato. On retuning to town I checked into Rainbow Lodge another hostel which is much busier. The dorm im sleeping in is inhabited by a group of snoring girls from Taiwan so not much sleep last night! The rooms are heated though which is good when it's -4 outside!
This morning it is raining. Oh well. So Danny, Andrew and I decided to take the plunge(!) and do the Taupo bungy. We got a discounted rate to jump before 11am. It was ACE! Over too quick though! I love falling in freefall! The cantilever ledge hangs 47m above the Waikato River in an awesome setting. I was the first to jump of the 3 of us. 3-2-1-BUNGY! And a perfect swan dive off the ledge! Andrew (from the US) decided he wanted to get wet so with some clever maths the crew manage to dunk him up to his waist in the river as the bungy was at full extent. Danny (UK) and I chickened out and opted to stay dry!
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