We moved a little further east to the Bay of Plenty area, to a farm stay in the hills outside of Tauranga. We went for a hike to the nearby Kaiate Falls.
From the top of the trail there is a great view down towards Tauranga with the backdrop of Mount Maunganui, officially known by its Māori name Mauao.
Kaiate stream.
The 3 tiers of the upper falls.
The lower falls, with a great swimming hole! Unfortunately the water has bacterial pollution and swimming is not allowed.
Pink hued dawn clouds.
We decided to stay close to ‘home’, to Matarangi Bluff trail near the enclave of Matarangi, a sand spit only a 15 minute drive away.
We had to climb up, up, up to the top of the bluff for a great view of Matarangi.
The Bluff encircles an amphitheater with a wetland in the center. From the trail around the rim there are great views out to sea and inland.
Down in the bowl of the amphitheater is a regenerating forest.
And a bonus beach!
We explored the Mercury Bay area, starting at Shakespeare Cliff Lookout.
Looking down at Lonely Bay, the small beach nearest the cliff, and the long curve of Cook’s Bay, the beach stretching into the distance.
Captain Cook anchored in this bay from November 5 to 15, 1769. He named the bay, Mercury Bay due to his assignment: “James Cook helped his astronomer Charles Green observe the transit of Mercury at Te Whanganui-o-Hei (Mercury Bay), Coromandel Peninsula. When the planets Mercury and Venus pass across the Sun, they are visible as small black dots. Timing these ‘transits’ from different locations was the first accurate way to determine the distance between Earth and the Sun. After observing the transit of Venus from Tahiti, Cook sailed HMB Endeavour towards the land skirted by Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman in 1642, which was sighted on 6 October 1769″.
Cook completed his observation of the transit of Mercury on November 9, 1769. Subsequently Cook explored the Mercury Bay area, traded with the local Māori for fresh fish mainly, and continued north to the Bay of Islands area. Mercury Bay was the first and most thoroughly explored area of Cook’s first voyage around New Zealand.
We hiked down a path to check out Lonely Bay.
The small, but remote beach is covered with a thick layer of seashells that have been ground down to a fine tan/white sand.
I took off my shoes to walk in the surf and explore the beach.
We hiked along Shakespeare Cliff and down to Maramaratotara Bay (Flaxmill Bay).
On returning uphill we passed this kauri, planted in 2001. It would be considered a juvenile. Kauri begin flowering from age 20 to 50 years. They can live over 1500 years!
An hour’s drive from our B&B took us to the small village of Hahei on the leeward shore of Mercury Bay.
Scenes around town; a beautiful mural, a whimsical ‘fairy apartment’ on a huge fig tree trunk, and a fantastic view looking down on Hahei beach from a camper on the road going up the hill to the trail to Cathedral Cove.
After hiking into town from the remote parking lot (we didn’t want to pay the $ to take the shuttle!), walking to the beach trail, only to find out it is closed, walking back to the road and uphill to the seasonally closed parking lot at the top of the hill, we started the hike down to Cathedral Cove!
It was worth it! The pristine white sand beach, huge arch carved by the sea and fantastical eroded cliffs and sea rocks, bordered by the gentle, bright blue, but cold sea, are beautiful!
Robert, caught at a brief time when other tourists are out of view! I enjoyed a fresh water shower from the cliff top, to wash my feet after I walked in the surf.
The remnants of sandstone cliffs, eroded over eons to produce spires and seabird roosts!
We drove to the end of the road at the tip of the Coromandel peninsula today. A beautiful day for a (gravel) road trip!
Looking down at Port Jackson Bay from the road. A primitive campground lines the beach with very few amenities. Bring your own water and supplies and haul your garbage and recyclables out!
Fletcher Bay at the end of the road (or the beginning of the Coromandel Coastal Walkway). The sea water is crystal clear out around the rocks at the end of the bay.