Whangamata was the fourth place we stayed in in New Zealand. Tom's cousins were generous enough to let us stay in their beach house for a few days in the middle of October, a gesture we are still marvelling at today. It was such a welcome break from all the stress of travelling and provided us with home comforts we hadn't had in a few weeks. We really loved our short stay there!
There was no Wi-Fi in the beach house. This wasn't a problem for the majority of our stay (we haven't really been too bothered about Wi-Fi), but it became an issue when we needed to book our next lot of accommodation and travel. There's only so much you can do when you use your shitty NZ phone as a hotspot.... so off we went into town in search of a Wi-Fi connection.
That visit was our first encounter with the strange times that shops/cafes keep here in New Zealand. To find everything closed/closing at 3pm was frustrating to say the least! Our second attempt was a lot more successful and Meryn and I found ourselves sat in the coolest cafe on the highstreet. I loved my coffee and wished I could try some of the delicious looking food on display.
This was the start of a very real, and very happy, love affair with New Zealand coffee shops.
One of the lookout points we were taken to on our last morning in the area. We were starting to realise how many hidden places there are in New Zealand, and just how beautiful the country looks from up high.
This was also a very welcome break from the car journey. All 3 of us were feeling sick from the winding roads we were driving down (flying down might be a more accurate description) and the fresh air at the top of the climb we walked up was needed.
An evening walk along the beach that ran around the little village of houses we were living amongst.
This was our first real taste of how much quieter New Zealand is than back home. There's just so few people here. We were learning that "busy" to a Kiwi is not "busy" to a Brit, and that "quiet" in New Zealand is just another word for empty. It felt like we were the only ones in the town. Which would be a nice feeling, if we weren't in a beach house made of wood that made horribly creepy sounds at night...
It was unbelievably windy during our few days at the beach house but in the moments of calm, I loved to sit out on the decking. I would eat my breakfast and write in my diary, all while looking out over the estuary. It was serious #lifegoals.
A very colourful end to an evening walk on the beach. I remember this was one of the first times I felt really happy that we were here, exploring this country.
One of my favourite photos of him, ever.
On our way to Whitianga, we stopped at Hot Water Beach and had the strangest experience. Luck was with us when we arrived - a couple gave us their already dug hole and saved us a ton of effort. We made some minor adjustments to make sure all three of us could fit in. When we did get in, man, was it bizarre! The water we were sat in was the temperature of a really well run bath. The water trickling in was boiling hot. We were sat right next to a pool of water that was so hot it was burning whoever touched it. The sea behind us on the other hand was cold as ice.
After Hot Water Beach, we drove on to the Cathedral Cove Walk. The downhill walk had us descend down a path with scenery that seemed to change every ten steps. Rolling fields, woods, a beach... It was all different and all breathtaking. This photo was taken just before Tom and I walked through the cove. I think my favourite bit of this visit was how clear and blue the water was. And of course the view from the lookout after we climbed all the way back up to the top!
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