Road Trip Week 3
- Liam Craig
- Feb 26, 2020
- 3 min read
Day 18 - After resolving the extended period of concern about the car, we hopped back on the road and headed South along the West coast of Northland. We stopped to see Tāne Mahuta (Lord of the Forest), which is the largest Kauri tree known to exist. It’s over 15m around at its widest and estimated to be between 1250 and 2500 years old. Standing beneath such an ancient living thing is a particularly humbling experience. After this we decided to accelerate our plans and drive all the way to Raglan. Raglan is one of the most famous surf town in New Zealand and a spot neither of us wanted to miss. And so we drove all afternoon before camping at a site overrun by ants. We wouldn’t stay there long anyway, we had a busy day planned.
Day 19 - Our full day devoted to Raglan. Woke up and went straight to the beach. I still need some serious practice on my board, but it didn’t feel impossible. Drove over to the nearby Mt. Karioi and climbed it in the afternoon. The summit offered a spectacular 3600 view, and I got to see some paragliders take off from the side of the mountain. Spent another night in Raglan but at a different campsite. This one was definitely a surfer camp. I don't think there was a car there without a board strapped to it.
Day 20 - Drove over to the Coromandel Peninsula in the morning. Wandered around the town of Thames while Charlie got a coolant flush and refill. Got a coffee and then found a spot where you could get two piece fish and chips for $9! Basically a fishmonger with a kitchen attached, but it was very fresh fish. Camped in a nearby valley for the night.
Day 21 - After talking about it for a few days Basak and I decided to part ways. We got along well but our timelines didn’t match up as cleanly as we initially thought. We arranged to meet up with one of her friends for the day, after which she would continue on with them. We met up with Jackson at hot water beach, where geothermal springs push hot water into the sand at low tide. Very much a tourist trap and not a must-see. We went to Cathedral cove next, also a tourist trap but this one worth seeing in my opinion. A spectacular stone archway carved out of the cliffs, reaching over the sand like the vaulted ceiling of an old church. We also went snorkeling at gemstone bay where the visibility was unfortunately low. Still got to swim with a big school of snapper and enjoyed being in the water. Said my goodbyes to Basak and headed farther north to camp.
Day 22 - Got up before seven and headed straight to New Chum Beach. A gorgeous white sand beach set into the lush hills of a small bay. Just a 15 minute walk to this paradise. I had e whole beach to myself and did the only thing that seemed appropriate. I went skinny dipping. Headed back to camp for breakfast and continued north to the Coromandel Coastal Walkway, a lovely stretch of well maintained track with great coastal views of craggy shoreline. Drove down through Coromandel town and back to Thames.
Day 23 - The first really rainy day since getting on the road. I set up a tarp first thing in the morning and was glad I did. It rained most of the day while I lazed around. Cooking meals, reading, listening to music. It was a nice relaxing day.
Day 24 - Back to the trail! Climbed the Pinnacles for a gorgeous 360° view of the Coromandel forest park. Spent the afternoon doing laundry in town and planning for the next leg of my journey.
Maybe you've noticed by now that my weekly road trip posts don't come out consistently or even cover a consistent number of days. That's island time baby. Keep an eye out for some surprising stuff in the next few weeks.
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