From Auckland, I hopped on the bus going east for a brief trip to the Coromandel. The first stop was Hahei, famous for its “hot water beach” - a beach which has hot springs running underneath it. When the tide is out, you can dig a hole in the sand and it will fill up with hot water. Unfortunately for me, the tide was in and I wasn’t able to spend another night in Whitianga. Next time!

Near Whitianga we stopped at Cathedral Cove and I hiked down to the beach there. Amazing place! The sun was beating down so i doubled up on the sunscreen and walked along the sand all afternoon…