Cycling the Coromandel

Well, we're without our campervan at the moment - so it's time to get out there exploring under our own steam. With our half-ironman training ramping up (6 weeks to go - gulp!) our legs have got some miles in them, so we decided the time was right to cycle around the Coromandel; a peninsular about an hour's drive from Auckland which is full of gorgeous beaches, towering ranges and sleepy little towns.

With a bank holiday weekend about to start, we set off on the ferry on the Saturday morning from Auckland City to Coromandel Town, with 125 miles to travel with 6450 feet in altitude to climb. Eek! Water bottles filled, lycra hoiked up, feet clipped in, and we're off.

Day 1 from Coromandel Town to Thames was a lovely, flattish ride along the coastal road. Not really much to say, and very few photos - but a lot of it looked like this:

An atypical NZ road - missing the frequent possum roadkill

Arriving in Thames was a bit odd. I came here 10 years ago as a backpacker with Al and Pete, and it turned out we were staying in exactly the same youth hostel! But then realised there was only one youth hostel in town... We were cyling with only tiny running backpacks, so off comes the day lycra and out comes the evening change of clothes and flip flops. And that's it. A pretty light three days are coming up it seems!

Turns out Sarah doesn't enjoy Jenga... I do!

Day 2 was billed as the big mileage one, with two big peaks to get over the top of before rolling into Whitianga town. It was a pretty relentless day...

Another atypical road - I'm sure there was more roadkill than this!

But our saviour could be found in the bottom of some big fresh coffee... Sarah used to scoff at me when Al, Chris and I would go for a ride and stop midway through for a pastry and a coffee. But now she gets it - proper cycling etiquette. Not sure having a nap on the table is good etiquette though...

Comfy.

Onwards, definitely upwards and fully charged - we carried on to Hahei, home of the tourist attraction that is Hot Water Beach. An inventively named beach of... hot sand, with boiling hot spring water bubbling up just either side of low tide. This section of beach is a tiny portion of a stretch of a good couple of miles, but everyone crams into the warm bits. With our bikes resting on the sand, we joined the action...

Glastonbury-a-la-Hahei

 Before jumping back on the bikes and heading North to Cathedral Cove, a gorgeous bay with stacks out at sea, small islands, caves and tunnels carved into the rock over thousands of years. it's been one of the first beaches we can swim at in a quite a few months which didn't have a huge rip or undertow running along it, time to get out of that manky lycra!

Bliss!

Cathedral Cove

Sarah stood outside the other end of Cathedral Cove, a vast roofed
cavern which stretches from one bay to the next

 Back on the bikes, and the last bit of the day to do... Up to the ferry terminal on the Whitianga River Mouth for a short trip across. One problem...

It's milking time at the local farm. Stay back...

 But we made it!

Ready for the 1 minute ferry ride across to Whitianga

 And we're there, day 2 of 3 complete - most of the miles done, with just the biggest hill of the lot still to do... Time to relax, find a steak and ale house and enjoy the evening sunshine. Tick, tick and tick.

This picture makes me worryingly happy

 No sore heads in the morning, as two beers pretty much made us fall asleep in the pub (plus the chicken wings, steaks, extra sides, and massive ice cream sundae. Hey, a man needs to eat) So, the only thing left is to call in at the beautiful bays and get back to Coromandel Town by 4pm.

But these big boys are in our way.
Chin up Sarah...

Nearly at the top...

Boom! Worth it for the views, and for the amazing downhill...

 We've been saving a visit to the Coromandel for the right occasion, and it didn't disappoint. Such a great ride, lovely roads and I even got a bit of peace and quiet from Sarah on the ferry on the way home...

But she still had to cycle home at the other end!