Coromandel
I just came back to civilisation (Thames) after camping and hiking around the Kauaeranga Valley for the last couple of days. Amanda and I found a lift from Miranda to Thames where we stocked up on food and held a long siesta outside Pak’N'Save with rain passing by. And even though the sun had set by the time we had walked out of town, we still managed to get a lift with a possum hunter up the valley to the next DOC campsite near the burnt down visitor centre. Slowly worked our way to the fantastic Pinnacle Hut in this historic Kauri logging area. It’s getting warmer these days, especially with the sun out, but then it’s amazing how quick the felt temperature can drop when the sun disappears behind a cloud and the wind picks up. Once again we felt how changeable the weather in New Zealand can be - one minute rain, the next blue sky and vice versa.
Thames is pretty relaxed, cool alternative people around here. Like this shop I am sitting in: arty crafts shop in the front, laundromat in a second room, internet cafe (w/ linux(!) PCs) in a third and computer sales&service workshop in the back. We’ll try to get all our “urban” needs satisfied here (laundry, internet, groceries, shower, post) before heading north up the Coromandel Peninsular.
Try to get to the famous HOT Water beach, hopefully without the crowds!
Internet is redicoulously expensive here, have already burnt enough cash just writing this and checking mails, thus some of you guys might need to wait a bit longer for my reply. Sorry!