Ok, so after Cape Reinga we headed south for Auckland again, this was a yucky sticky long drive and when we got to Auckland we were too tired for anything except eating and going to bed (we may have read our books for a little bit too, imagine the excitement of it all). The next morning we woke up and the rain was bucketing down just like home.... strange coincidence then that we had just met our first Irish person of the trip.....!!!! It was Monday morning I think, because Man Utd were playing Arsenal and it was on the tv, nothing like breakfast football!!!!! We watched that, just like home, rain and football (regina loved it), and after the match we headed off, destination..... the Coromandel Penisula.

The photos are already up for this section of the route, unfortunately the weather wasnt great on the way over, so the views were pretty rubbish even though they should have been awesome. The roads again were mighty, they actually have signs that say "Windy Roads Next 25Km".. and they are windy the whole 25, just like home too!!! We got to coromandel, where our guide book had told us cathedral cove was (I am cutting out capital letters for place names from now on to save time), we stopped into the tourist office because we couldnt find it, and were told it was the other side of the penisula, luckily that was where we were heading and staying for the night. We took the "alternative" route across the hills on the lovely gravel road (under the advice of the tourist office). Along the way there is a lookout (covered in cloud), a waterfall (no iguazu falls), a man who has wild pigs living on his land?!?!?!, a waterpark (too expensive and wet), and some trees.... we stopped at the waterfall and kept going again. We got to the hostel anyway, and I went off for a run since it was raining (first hill sprint session this year and it hurt!!!). We then went for a swim in the sea across the road (20 meters away). It was lovely and refreshing and woke us both up, then it was time for dinner and a relax before the next days adventure and drive

We got up early as we had decided to go to the hot water beach (its named that, and I have left out the capitals again). The beach gets its name from the phenominononininon that occurs at low tide, when geothermal something or others heats some of the sand in random spots and thus allows people to dig pools of water and sit in a little hot tub. By the time we got there, and we were early for the tide, the place was already busy, and the only good spots were already taken. We hung around like vulchers for a while and dug our feet into small bits under the tide (it is really hot), and eventually got to stick our bums in a pool only to have them immediately burnt off us. Needless to say, the hot water beach was a bit of a wash out!!!! After that we headed to the beaches of cathedral cove. There is about three or four beaches there, etched into the cliff by the years and they are some of the most beautiful beaches either of us has ever seen. The walk down is through native bush and when you get onto the beach you are surrounded by caves and cliffs and jungle like bush, its amazing. Also the water is crystal clear blue and very very fresh!!!!! We splashed around for a while and swam out to a rock and then braved the "do not go through cave" sign and ran through the cave to get to the other side, which is the actual cathedral cove beach. Everyone else did it, and we figured it might be a religious thing, by the name.... we were grand out!!!! After a few hours of lazing about we headed off for our long drive across the island to Raglan..... thats the next story