It was a long drive to the Peninsular in the north of the island. The rain along with traffic jams in Auckland made the journey even less enjoyable. We began exploring the east coast stopping at various beaches popular with locals. A popular place for tourists and locals was Hot Water Beach. In the summer months people dig holes in the sand and sit in the warm pools of water that form. Sadly it was too cold to strip off and sit on a windy beach so we kept our hats on and just had a look. A few mad people were attempting to dig holes.
We then headed to Cathedral Coves. As we began the walk we passed people who looked hot, sweaty and tired - not a good sign! There was a thirty minute walk to Cathedral Cove with a few stops on the way. We stopped at one small private beach that was surrounded by gorgeous white cliffs. Luckily it began to get a little warmer and the sky was mainly blue. The entire walk provided us with amazing scenery, we could see many islands dotted out at sea. At the end of the path and down several flights of stairs we arrived at Cathedral Cove beach. Between two sandy beaches was the large arched passageway. Although it was closed off to the public due to the roof being weathered and unstable we walked through. On either side of the cove the beaches were lined with cliffs and large rocks poking out of the sea. The walk consisted of what felt like a million steps! Luckily the rest of the walk wasn't steep and we arrived back at our van looking better than the people we passed on the way down.