Auckland Day 4 and the Road to Coromandel
New Zealand isn't a very big place. We've been planning the first road trip and looking at the map and seeing that our first stop is completely across the entire country from the airport seems like so far to go. When we actually plug it into Google maps, though, the time is about 2 hours, even with the windy mountain roads on the way. We took the shuttle bus back to the airport and grabbed another shuttle to our car rental place.
As a Very Tall Person™ I don't fit in many cars or vans, so when I found a place that had both a great deal on our dates and the brand of van we drive at home, I jumped at the opportunity. Even though it was a different model and shape than our van at home, it sure looked like our van inside, so we hoped for the best. Upon arrival and signing the paperwork, we got the chance to start moving things around and getting the car seats installed. The interior is even more spacious than our van, and aside from being right-hand-drive, is a great fit for our family.
We piled in and got to driving with many remembering chants of "LEFT SIDE" to help us get used to being on the other side of the road. As we drove and enjoyed the various roundabouts, we found a waterfall on the map that was only 4 minutes off the highway. We pulled over, found the spot, and started the hike past the cemetery that was definitely not a portent of things to come.
The hike was over a small hill, maybe 15 minutes on a dry day. While the sun was out, it rains most every day in spring, so the ground was muddy and the trail pretty poorly maintained. I carried the baby and Eli held the kids hands while we navigated the treacherous hills.
Thankful for roots and branches, we made it to the bottom of the hill with only a little trouble. The waterfall was pretty and the pool at the bottom would have been good for swimming closer to summer, I'm sure. It's still chilly here, now, though, so we just took some pictures and hiked back up.
The rest of the drive was calm, simple, quiet, and generally pleasant. The road to Coromandel is mostly farms with mountain passes at the end. After climbing over the mountains, you're greeted with incredible views of the East coast. The drive down the mountain toward the beach was beautiful and we found our AirBnB without trouble.
We're settled in, now. Eli built a small nest for our baby in the absence of a travel cot and I hit the local store for dinner fixins, made steak vermicelli with olives and buttered bread. It was a simple, easy meal that really hit the spot. Tomorrow, we're going to check out the hot water beach, one of my most anticipated spots of the whole trip, and maybe the cathedral rock, time permitting.