We've had a couple of pretty full days here, but we'll try (unsuccessful -ed.) to cover all the good stuff before we move on to the Rotarua area.
The road from Thames to the opposite side of the Coromandel Peninsula was quite breath taking in many parts. Here, just north of Thames, the road takes some scenic twists and turns.
Hwy 25, north of Thames, Cormandel Peninsula, NZ
Turn after turn revealed one wondrous scene after another.
Hwy 25 North of Thames
More of the same...
The Road North to Coromandel Town from Thames, NZ
We saw this guy and his dog fishing, and thought it would make a nice picture.
Angler & his dog on the western shore of the
Coromandel Peninsula, just north of Te Mata, NZ
Another sight along the shore, just south of Wilson's Lookout, just South and west of the town of Coromandel
A View from just South of Wilson's Bay, Coromandel Peninsula, NZ
A view into Wilson's Bay from Wilson's Lookout
Wilson's Bay, Coromandel Peninsula, NZ
Below we see why it's called Wilson's Lookout. Do you see what we saw 65km away?
A Hill with a View; Wilson's Lookout, Coromandel Peninsula, NZ
Looking north from that very same lookout, we were presented with the scene below of the various harbours and islands grouped just south of the town of Coromandel, NZ.
Wilson's Lookout, looking Northward to Coromandel Town, NZ
The View from above Coromandel was another pleasant surprise among many this day. The body of water you see, is Mcgregor Bay, where they have mussel farms as their main industry.
McGregor Bay and Coromandel Town, NZ
This was the worst of the many washouts we saw along the twisty roads that are perched precariously upon the sides of the numerous mountains encountered in this small country. One lane was completely shut off by this slide, which I believe may have been caused by the homogeneous planting of pine trees in the area by the Japanese lumber producers. The local vegetation does not seem as prone, on such a large scale, to similar sized mud slides.
The road from Coromandel Town to Te Rerenga, Coromandel Peninsula, NZ
Below you can see some of the devastation caused by what I am assuming is forest mismanagement. In the stream you can see a lot of the red soil being being eroded by the stream. Notice too, the stark contrast between the native tree species in the valley and the commercially grown pine forests in the background.
A blemish on the sterling reputation NZ enjoys when it comes to nature conservancy.
Coromandel Peninsula, NZ
Clear-cutting in the same area as the washout above
The Road to Te Rerenga
Beautiful native New Zealand tree below, which is planted as a windbreak by farmers and private residents alike.
Kuoatunu, NZ
Below are the beautiful, but inedible berries produced by the tree.
Kuoatunu, NZ
The scenes continue on one of NZ's most beautiful drives.
Turn after turn revealed one wondrous scene after another.
More of the same...
We saw this guy and his dog fishing, and thought it would make a nice picture.
Coromandel Peninsula, just north of Te Mata, NZ
Another sight along the shore, just south of Wilson's Lookout, just South and west of the town of Coromandel
A view into Wilson's Bay from Wilson's Lookout
Below we see why it's called Wilson's Lookout. Do you see what we saw 65km away?
Looking north from that very same lookout, we were presented with the scene below of the various harbours and islands grouped just south of the town of Coromandel, NZ.
The View from above Coromandel was another pleasant surprise among many this day. The body of water you see, is Mcgregor Bay, where they have mussel farms as their main industry.
This was the worst of the many washouts we saw along the twisty roads that are perched precariously upon the sides of the numerous mountains encountered in this small country. One lane was completely shut off by this slide, which I believe may have been caused by the homogeneous planting of pine trees in the area by the Japanese lumber producers. The local vegetation does not seem as prone, on such a large scale, to similar sized mud slides.
Below you can see some of the devastation caused by what I am assuming is forest mismanagement. In the stream you can see a lot of the red soil being being eroded by the stream. Notice too, the stark contrast between the native tree species in the valley and the commercially grown pine forests in the background.
Coromandel Peninsula, NZ
Clear-cutting in the same area as the washout above
Beautiful native New Zealand tree below, which is planted as a windbreak by farmers and private residents alike.
Below are the beautiful, but inedible berries produced by the tree.
We were going to go down to the famous Waitaia Bay, but time constraints prevented us. Supposedly the swimming there is awesome, as is the scenery. We were also told there was a place where you rent out a shovel, dig a hole in the sand at High tide, and the water that fills the hole will be thermally heated from below to spa-like temperatures. It's supposed to be therapeutic with all the sea salt and all, but we just didn't have the time, so below you see our lunch stop place, at Buffalo Beach, in Whitianga, located on the eastern shore of the Coromandel Peninsula.
Buffalo Beach, Whitianga, NZ
Outrigger Canoe, Buffalo Beach, Whitianga, NZ
Hmmm...somehow, I don't think they followed the original blueprints on this one!
Telephone Pole with Posted Design Specs Below
Buffalo Beach, Whitianga, NZ
(Maybe it's good they ignored the engineers!)
Finally, a smile from Cal. I wonder, at whose expense this joke was?
A moment of Jocularity, Buffalo Beach, Whitianga, NZ
"Mischief", awaiting our arrival at his Campground in Mt. Maunganui, the "Cosy Corner."
Cosy Corner Family Campground, Mt. Maunganui, NZ
This campground, situated in the heart of downtown Mt. Maunganui, was the best accommodation we've had thus far in NZ--outside of Peter & Rachael's. The owners of the park were AWESOME, and they helped us out big time! There are a lot of new features in the campground, such as the new cabins, but there is a lot of old, but impeccably maintained equipment that is nostalgic to see. It's all a part of the magical charm when you stay here!
Below you see what we saw upon leaving our cabin; to the left is the pool, while straight ahead you see the common eating area. Everything was top notch, and we come again, it will be to this place, for sure!
Cosy Corner Campground, Mt. Maunganui, NZ
Today's temperature hit 28 degrees C! But, as night falls, the cooling effect of the ocean mercifully take over.
Sunset on the Beach, Mt Maunganui, NZ
Goodnight to all from down under,
Cal, Cailin, Colleen & Jay
Hmmm...somehow, I don't think they followed the original blueprints on this one!
Buffalo Beach, Whitianga, NZ
(Maybe it's good they ignored the engineers!)
Finally, a smile from Cal. I wonder, at whose expense this joke was?
"Mischief", awaiting our arrival at his Campground in Mt. Maunganui, the "Cosy Corner."
This campground, situated in the heart of downtown Mt. Maunganui, was the best accommodation we've had thus far in NZ--outside of Peter & Rachael's. The owners of the park were AWESOME, and they helped us out big time! There are a lot of new features in the campground, such as the new cabins, but there is a lot of old, but impeccably maintained equipment that is nostalgic to see. It's all a part of the magical charm when you stay here!
Below you see what we saw upon leaving our cabin; to the left is the pool, while straight ahead you see the common eating area. Everything was top notch, and we come again, it will be to this place, for sure!
Today's temperature hit 28 degrees C! But, as night falls, the cooling effect of the ocean mercifully take over.
Goodnight to all from down under,
Cal, Cailin, Colleen & Jay
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