Rolling hills on the way to the Coromandel.
The Coromandel region is probably one of the most spectacular coast lines I have ever seen. Looking back on it, I still feel joy. This experience was new for me in quite a few ways. There were some complexities about choosing where to stay, anxieties about how to get around and some bad weather. During my three days in Whitianga, pronounced "fitiunga", I really let go of the anxiety. I only wish I could have had the confidence to chill and freak out less in the days leading up to this region.
This is a good opportunity to discuss the travel options for those of us who do not wish to drive (or cannot drive). Intercity is the Greyhound equivalent. The hop-on/hop-off bus providers Kiwi Experience and Stray sounded ideal because they go everywhere, especially some waterfalls and hikes where the Intercity bus does not go. I did so much reading about the pros and cons of using these providers. I kept reading that for independent travelers, Intercity is the way to go. I also did a little soul searching and accepted once and for all the following things drive me absolutely bonkers, even if I'm in a good mood:
that early morning bus rides with chatty 20 year olds
drunk 20 year olds being super loud on buses
I knew that I would be missing out on some social interaction by not being on these buses, but I would also avoid the making out, bottles of alcohol being passed around and the noise of lots of chatting. Besides, do I need even more social interaction beyond the hostel?!
Here's the deal: the Intercity bus does not stop at the highlights of the Coromandel region: Cathedral Cove, Shakespeare Cliff and Hot Water Beach. I started Google-ing the hell out of how to get around the Coromandel without a car. Intercity stops at Coromandel Town and in Whitianga. From Whitianga, I saw I could get on a bus that would take me to a ferry that would take me to another bus. It sounded rough but if I were to stay in Coromandel Town, I'd have to get to Whitianga first! Forget it!
I arrived in Whitianga with storm clouds approaching at 1pm. I could see a little bit of sun left. I had only booked two days and I expected to see at least one attraction this first afternoon and hopefully before the rain. Then I could check off the rest of the list the next day. Herein lies the problem: I'm checking things off a list. Where does the humanity come into play? Seriously, folks, travel to me is more than checking sites off of a list. When I checked into the hostel, the host showed me a pamphlet for a tourist shuttle bus that goes to all of the tourist spots on a schedule, directly from Whitianga. Apparently they don't have a web site. It was such a relief to know I'd be able to see everything but also so sad to think about how many hours I had spent on Google and worrying about arriving and being stranded and feeling about about not being able to drive. I was the only person so far in the room of 6 beds. It was nice to be in a room without other people for a hot minute.
Whitianga has a small beach right past the center of town. I hadn't really had beach time yet and it felt good to hang out and get some ocean breeze. Also, there was no one else there and that's always a nice feeling. Then the rain came. Uh oh, better get back to the hostel. I got back to the hostel and fell asleep in the empty room to take an afternoon nap. The bus had left Auckland so early! After a few hours, the host entered the room with a new guest and I was briefly awakened. The new guest was being so quiet, I was able to go back to sleep. I thought to myself that this person was so considerate and polite. How rare and thoughtful.
I did not really sleep much longer. I eventually met my roommate, Marie from Bretagne, France. Oh yes! Someone I can speak French with! She was a really special person. She has been living in New Caledonia on the Island of Pines (Ile de Pins) for two years as a nurse! She had just finished a two week long silent meditation retreat and was high on life. We clicked right away. We immediately addressed our concerns about traveling independently and not being annoying roommates. It was maybe the first time in my backpacking that I had a roommate who was traveling alone who I felt really "got me". I sure as hell "got her". I thought she was so cool. For readers who have never heard of New Caledonia, Nouvelle Caledonia in French, it is a French-speaking island chain east of New Zealand (Nouvelle Zealand) and is part of the country of France.
As Marie and I were clicking, we decided to head to the supermarket before the rain came so that we wouldn't be stuck in the hostel without food. Our first night ended with food and conversation and a deep sleep.
The next day was all rain, all day. I was ready to call it quits and forget the whole Coromandel region. This way I wouldn't have to worry about the shuttle bus. I could just go to the next stop on the Intercity bus. Hey, maybe Cathedral Cove isn't worth it anyway... someone in the kitchen told me it was packed with people when she went and it is not really worth it. So there! Everyone in the hostel was hanging out in the lounge area. This hostel felt like a house with a den attached to the kitchen. It was perfect for a rainy day: two sofas, hundreds of VHS tapes and, as luck would have it, polite and chilled out people. Marie and I befriended two new roommates of ours. Anita and Pascal had met somewhere else in New Zealand. They were definitely not dating, Anita made that clear. There was some sarcasm in their interaction... I thought they must be Dutch. Second guess, Sweiz-Deutsch! Bam! Once again, I've met wonderfully interesting, intelligent and funny Swiss-German speakers. Anita had rented a car. Pascal was her supposed navigator.
As the rain went on, Marie and I became closer with Anita and Pascal. We were all really clicking. By the afternoon, we were making plans to spend the next day together in Anita's car, touring the entire Coromandel. Anita had already designed an itinerary. She just did not want to be in the car alone. This was my first time getting in a car in New Zealand! I was apprehensive, of course. It's my personality. The next day, we started early and a I popped a Drammamine, knowing that we were going to be driving around crazy curves and hills.
We started the morning with some stress as it became clear that Pascal was not really so much of a navigator but more of a person who sits in the front seat and takes up space. Anita was getting pissed off that he could not even tell her the right direction to start off from the hostel. They were yelling at each other in Sweiz-Deutsch. When we got to Hot Water Beach, I was in some sort of mood. It was pretty cold outside but the sun was strong. I think it was too early in the morning for me to enjoy the beach. The idea at Hot Water Beach is that you dig a hole and naturally hot, very hot, beach water fills the hole and then you chill in the hole. A nice older man came over to me and gave me a shovel and smiled and said I should give it a try. I'm glad I did. It was just one of those moments where I think I just wanted to be alone but I was with a group and I had to process that. I was just so used to doing so much alone up to this point.
Our next stop was Cathedral Cove. To get to the very special beach, there is a 40 minute hike. This was such a beautiful way to arrive. The beach speaks for itself:
We then made our way to Shakespeare Cliff to get a view of the region:
We then found a beach with no one else on it. Marie meditated. I took an amazing beach nap. We had decided that we were enjoying the day with each other and that there was a magical sunset moment to be had. We should go to the market and buy enough food for a sunset picnic at the top of one of the viewpoints. I think this thought excited all of us.
The picnic with this lovely group of folks was a first for me. I survived sharing a car with new friends. I've never had a clifftop sunset picnic either. It was so special.
We all talked so much throughout the day about our lives and what we are looking to do. From talking to Marie, I was inspired to plan the next leg of my trip to Fiji. We ended up traveling to Tauranga together the next day and did a pretty strenuous and rewarding hike together.
