So we picked up our little campervan and headed off over the Coromandle Peninsula on the South East coast of the North Island. Thankfully, in New Zealand they drive on the same side of the road as we do in the UK and the camper van was automatic so not too difficult but in the first few hours there were so many fantastic views we had to keep puling over, running to the top of the view point, take a few piks then continue on the journey only to stop again after a few minutes for another fantastic photo opportunity.

Covered in dense pine forests with beautiful views of the pacific, the Coromandel roads wind down to the coast and at times take you alarmingly close to the cliff edges and beaches along the way.

Our first stop was Coromandel town where the lady at the tourist info place ('i' site) recommended we head to a little campsite called 'Hot Water Beach'

Hot Water Beach does exactly as it says on the tin!!.... Its name comes from underground hot springs which filter up through the sand. The idea is that you walk along the sand until you detect a hot spot, wriggle your feet into the sand to make a hole, if the water that fills the hole is bearable you get a spade and dig your own home made thermal spa hole, get in and have a lovely wallow!!

We were told that the best time to dig your hole was at sunrise or sunset. So the next morning off we went and dug our hole, trouble was that the volcanic underground water can reach temperatures of up to 64 degrees Celsius and are literally scalding. We dug our hole so that we had a rivulet of cold water coming in to take the edge off as at times it really was unbearably hot !..it's funny how you suddenly take stock of where you are....me, wallowing like a great big happy hippo in a scolding hot water mud hole on a beach in New Zealand!!!..every now and then the mud hole defences would breach and start to cook us so we had to leap out and 'abandon hole' before we turned into lobsters!!...surreal but brilliant fun!

Next stop on our jolly journey was the beautiful Cathedral Cove. The walk down to Cathedral cove took about 45 minutes and passed through Gemstone bay and Swordfish beach. The whole area was made up of clear blue waters and unusual white eroded cliffs and outcrops and as the name suggests the rocks and stones glinting under the water looked like a jewellery box of treasure..lovely!!. Cathedral cove itself has an enormous, echoey walk through cave and is the home of many nesting birds. Again crystal clear water and a white sand beach with sea bleached driftwood and broken branches eroded into weird shapes by the sea and strewn about the sand..just magical. The cave was used as the tunnel through which the children first re-enter Narnia in the movie version of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. (Wiki).. Never seen the movie but can totally understand why the beach was chosen.

After spending the night at neighbouring Papamoa beach we headed towards the stinky eggy pong district of Rotarua. It is at about 20 km outside of Rotarua that you start to detect a smell..of course Ray and I blamed each other but when the smell didn't leave we knew we were getting close.

Under the earth's crust, Rotarua is an incredibly busy geothermal, volcanic area. There are many touristy parks etc. to visit but we decided to go for the 'Thermal Wonderland Park' at 'Wai-O-Tapu' featuring the 'Lady Knox Geyser' which erupts daily on the dot at 10.15am .....Mmmm sounded a bit suspicious!!, further investigation was definitely needed. (To be cont.....)