Coromandel Town

We took the ferry from downtown Auckland to Coromandel town and when we got to the pier Ella was not in the mood to get into the buggy so we spent 45 minutes watching her play on the beach. By that time Rex of Forest and Bird made it to the pier on his bicycle to give us a warm Coromandel welcome. Once Ella was ready we cycled the 10 km into the lovely little town. The sun was shining, the bars and cafes were fille with people and the campsite was perfect, just like our day.

Rex and Lynette took us for a tour to the beautiful surroundings just north of Coromandel where you can find stunning beaches with spectacular views. It was however the Kauri Grove Walk that impressed us most. The track will take you through a small but lush forest with plenty of native trees. Forest and Bird members have done great work over the years to replant Kauri and restore the area.

The Coromandel area is in great need for volunteers to keep F&B's work going so if you want to make yourself useful and help with restoring your natural heritage, contact Forest and Bird!!

We heard that the northern most point of the peninsula is of extraordinary beauty and that there was a great project in the Mouhau Range being carried out, but as has ocurred before on our journey through New Zealand, we had to give it a miss. It is simply impossible to do and see everything, especially when there is so much of it. We were starting to forget that the actual cycling is what we will see of New Zealand. In the end, we will have seen more than most campervan tourists but the bicycle can also be a restriction at times.

From our tent we could see the highway out of Coromandel and our legs were shaking already, what a hill! I couldn´t keep my eyes off it and think of the inevitability of having to go over while Vanessa thought that was the stupidest thing I had ever done. Stop looking at it! But, Rex had talked to us about an alternative route: the unsealed and infamous 309 gravel road, known to swallow cyclists whole. Rex had told us this also was a though climb and it wasn´t going to be easy with the buggies on the gravel. What to do? We will decide tomorrow.