Yes, yes it has been a ridiculously long time since I updated my blog and I have so much to catch up on it’s going to take a while. I’m about to leave Australia (uh huh I know…lots to write) so I thought maybe I should write at least something.

Mercury Bay
Saturday 22nd November

We had another early start from outside the hostel the next morning and this time had a new driver called Rich. The other driver had told us that Rich was a newbie and this was his first trip after being only one of ten new drivers chosen from around 100 hopefuls. In order to be a Kiwi Experience driver you have to be a born Kiwi, they accept no imitations (reminds me of Saddleworth –if you’re not born there you’re not a local according to the old men!) Rich took all of our tickets and loaded our bags, introduced himself, told us it was his first time and that he may make a few mistakes and to bear with him. Then came the first mistake. He’d loaded the bags on but hadn’t shut the baggage compartment and tried to drive off before everyone shouted for him to stop! All good though and we made our first stop at Mount Eden (again!!). There really are good views from up there though so I didn’t mind. Mt Eden is also known as Maungawhau and is one of the 70 dormant volcanoes in the region.

It was quite a drive to Mercury Bay and we made several stops along the way including one for lunch supplies and the Kiwi Experience office in Thames. Back on the road we headed over the Coromandel Ranges and through a little town called Tairu and journeyed on until we reached Cathedral Cove. The weather was beautiful and the scenery even more so. Once off the bus we headed down the track and within 45 minutes we had reached the secluded sandy beach with crystal clear water and the beautiful natural archway that gives Cathedral Cove it’s name. I walked along the beach and it took all of five minutes to get to the other side. Once back on the bus, we were meant to have our next stop at the Hot Water Beach (so called as it s located just above a thermal outlet) however much to our disappointment the tides were in making it impossible to dig a hole in the sand and bury ourselves in it to experience the hot temperatures. So instead of doing this, we carried on to our night stop at Whitianga (aka Mercury Bay as termed by Cpt Cook in 1769. He anchored here to observe the transit of mercury in the evening sky. Apparently). This is an extremely small area and the hostel was more of a detached house on an estate. Although I did feel as if I was intruding in somebody’s house, it was cosy (bit too cosy in the bedrooms -2 lots of bunk beds in a room the size of a single with no space for bags) and newly renovated. We cooked tea, had showers and since there was not much else to do, I had an early night and read.