Cathedral Cove, Hahei and Whangapoua

A more relaxed start to the day, with a similarly delicious breakfast.  Today's plan is to go and see the fabled Cathedral Cove. It's supposedly a short walk from the top car park with some steep steps down to the beach. 

The sun is out this morning, and it's already quite warm.  Short sleeved tops are in order. Now we might have wished we'd brought some shorts!

The road to Cathedral Cove is a continuation of the road to Coromandel Town, but over the top of the peninsula and down the other side. We will have to travel this road again on our way to our next stop at Whakatane. We may not have time to relish the relevant sites then so we are having a relaxed look today.

The road is the same, windy and steep. There's the obligatory lookout at the top, but boy, what a lookout. Too windy for Eric up here, otherwise he may end up back in Auckland without us.

The drive along the other side of the peninsula passes by Whitianga. We haven't brought our navigation aid, only having a small scale map. This seems to show we go into Whitianga town, down to the harbour and across it to follow the road to Cooks Bay, Cathedral Cove, Ha Hei and Hot Water Beach.  Whitianga looks like an interesting place, we might have to stop for a better look on Sunday. In the meantime we reach the harbour, and a ferry...it's only for passengers!  Check map again and notice there is a small boat and water icon in the relevant place on the map - aha, another plan is needed.

Change of direction, retrace steps back to main road.  Have to travel all the way around the Whitianga Bay, cross the river and the sign says it's another 26km to Hot Water Beach. 

At the aforementioned beach, as the name suggests, you can dig a hole and wallow in an hot water pool of your own making. The tide had to be low in order to access the relevant part of the beach - it's not, so we continue on to Cathedral Cove. It is Labour Day holiday weekend here and lots of people have knocked off early to make the most of the long weekend. The car park at Cathedral Cove is very small but we manage to squeeze in to the last available parking space. The car says it's 23 degrees out there.

There's a lookout point adjacent to the car park.

One way..

then the other.

Eric, you're supposed to look through the telescope not sit on top of it!

The whole of the sea area around Cathedral Cove is a Marine Reserve - at least they have some pretty serious fines for disobeying the rules around here.

Gemstone beach even has an under the waves Snorkel Trail. We don't have bathers or a snorkel/mask so have to give that a miss. 

The path is down, and down, then across and down some more before reaching some seriously downward steps. Thinks - we have to come back up these.

Issue onto the white sand beach with some magnificent natural rock sculptures on. 

as well as the famous Cathedral Cove rock arch.

Given how full the car park was there are relatively few people on the beach, but still had to wait a whe for an opportune moment to photograph the arch with no people in the frame.