A busy day started with us leaving the B&B on Buffalo Beach to travel a short way down the coast to the the wharf. The place looked deserted and it soon transpires that we are the only passengers on the trip. Safety briefing complete we headed out to the calm open sea in the semi-rigid inflatable.
The sights on-route included Shakespeare Cliff, Cooks Blowhole and the famous Cathedral Cove. The beaches look great for relaxing so well worth a return visit when we have more time. The rock is a pumice/ash mix that is quite hardy but once the sea has undercut enough, the whole cliff sheers away. This leaves a perpendicular face that would be a challenge to climb.
As we proceeded on the trip the wind started to increase and numerous white tops appeared on the sea surface along with a noticeable swell. As we turned to go home we caught a few waves sideways giving us a good wetting however once at full speed the front of the craft lifted and afforded some protection from the spray. It also blew away any cobwebs with the bracing sea air. Definitely a trip to be recommended.
Setting off to cross the peninsular to Coromandel town we decided the rental car was definitely NOT up to tackling the iconic unsealed 309 route however Highway 25 was not without it's own challenges and was another mountainous scenic route. Just prior to descending into the town there is a great lookout offering views of both coastlines and the mountains between. You could also see cyclists laden with tents, bags etc catching their breath while waiting for the slower members of their party to make it. I have a feeling that the descents can be equally challenging so my hat goes off to any travellers on push bikes moving round New Zealand.
As it was lunchtime we went to the recommended restaurant "The Mussel Kitchen". I chose Mussels in Batter while Nicola had Mussel Chowder. All very tasty. As you might imagine from the name they also prepared mussel based food for sale to various outlets all of which was on show behind large windows.
We had booked a trip in the early afternoon on the Driving Creek Railway a most unusual attraction. Constructed by Barry Brickell over a period of 32 years it started life as a means of moving clay from the mountainside to his pottery. As the track grew increasing numbers of locals and visitors asked if they could ride on the trains and by 1990 Barry decided it could generate some useful income in it's own right.
The track came from the defunct goldmines in the area and Barry used some ingenious engineering solutions to construct the 2.6km to the top of his steeply sloping 60 acre block. The route incorporates 3 tunnels, 2 spirals, 5 reversing points and a number of bridges including a dual level one to reach the Eyefull Tower offering great views.
Barry is also into conservation and there were a number of projects being carried out in this area.
As we enjoyed the ride we could not help but think that Bernard, Nicola's Dad, would have been in his element if he had had the opportunity to visit.
Once we returned to the terminus we looked at Barry's pottery and I came to the distinct impression that his engineering skills will be his most lasting legacy.
Our next major stop was to be the Bay of Islands north of Auckland so we decided to travel as far as we could for the remainder of the day. In the end we covered over 200km to Warkworth. The journey was not particularly memorable apart from the transit through Auckland which was busy even at 18:00 on a Thursday night.
Arriving in Warkworth we booked into the Bridge House Hotel. Not one to recommend, much to Nicola's disappointment the fridge didn't work so warm wine was drunk that evening.