Tag Archives: Coromandel

Cyclone Hola and Driving Creek – Mar 12

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Driving Creek

Hola arrived during the night, not much wind, probably because we were on the west, but plenty of rain. As I write this it is still raining and is due to continue until midnight tonight. A little bit of a dampner for the day.

We ate breakfast under cover by the Shelley Beach kitchen.  Most of the campsite kitchens having a boiling water geyser, so making coffee is a doddle, Packed away and then set out for a drive. First we drove up the coast a little beyond Colville. Lovely scenes of grey out to the islands. We backtracked and stopped at a café for a coffee.  The Hereford ‘n’ A Pickle sold fresh meat and pickles as well as coffee and meals. The burgers and steaks on sale were all made from Hereford cattle. As well as food there was other goodies on sale. Some NZ locals were there as well, odd bunch, long beards and barefooted, though their teeth looked in good shape.

We drove back to the town or Coromondel and wandered around all the shops gazing at the art, mixed with fishing gear and lawn mowers. I admit the quality of the items on sale was significantly better than that of the tat on sale in UK beach resorts, though out of our price range. We topped up with oranges for breakfast and bought some rolls which we ate with cheese overlooking the Coromondel wharf.

Back through the town we went to see the railway at Driving Creek. I thought it might not be running because of the wet weather, and also thought it might be geared towards children. No, wrong on both counts, it was an excellent 1-hour trip up the side of the valley through the forest. They had been replanting, including 9,000 Kauri trees, in their 70 acre site. The railway was originally built by potter Barry Brickell to transport clay to his kiln. He extended further than required and eventually opened it to the public to help pay off his bank loan. He used to invite other artists to come and work there. Much of the art along the line is by these artists. I liked the retaining walls of bottles laid on their sides. We were shown, next to the track, where Barry B was buried.

At certain sections, and at the top, called EyeFull tower, we were told there are excellent views of the coast and islands. Not for us, just a beautiful grey as you can see from the pictures.

The track has a number of switch backs, a two-level viaduct, tunnels and even a spiral (learnt that from the Biggest Little Railway tv programme).

We left looking for tea. A virtually inaccessible tea-shop-come-secondhand bookshop was spotted, we drove up to it only to find it was closed. Why didn’t it say it was closed at the base?

Back at the site listening to the clatter of rain on the van roof and the growing puddles surrounding the van. Supper will be cooked and eaten in the site’s kitchen tonight. Let’s hope the forecast sun appears tomorrow so we can camp on the East coast near Hot Water Beach.

The rain proved too much, so off we went to a restaurant in Coromondel called The Pepper Tree, where we had a very well presented good meal. S started with a large bowl of fish chowder, while R ate a pate. Both declared well-worth eating, and could have been enough. For the main course we both had lamb, orso pasta, creamed feta, tomatoes & mozzarella. Very good lamb; in fact R said it was the best lamb she had ever eaten.

Back at the van, the rain has eased off somewhat. S drove over the grass to a hard standing pitch, and dreamt all night he had left huge channels of mud across the grass parking space. Turned out you could hardly see the marks.

Shelley Beach – Mar 11

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Shelley Beach, before the storm

Off exploring some more dirt tracks. We left the camp site driving a few miles up the road, turning inland at Tapu to enter the heart of the Coromondel. We were soon on unsealed roads (gravel, dirt roads), climbing up a bendy curvy road until we came to the tourist attraction of the Square Kauri Tree. Not exactly square, more rectangular in cross section, because I believe it was growing at the edge of a precipice.

The New Zealanders look after their forests with a steep path and steps, then eventually a platform around the tree in the hope that this will protect it from the fungus destroying the Kauri. From the tree platform, you could see other Kauris overlooking the road below. We spent a few enjoyable minutes there before descending to the road. We met two other couples on this walk, including a motorcyclist couple.

Back on the road again, climbing a little more, before descending down in to the Whitiangar road. I learnt how to engine break in an automatic, select B.  In New Zealand I have never seen so many signs on the roads requesting heavy goods vehicles not to use engine breaking. They are normally around built up areas where there is a steep hill entering the settlement. Needless to say, there were no such signs here, nobody to be seen.

On reaching the Whitiangar road we stopped at the Coroglen Tavern, recommended to us by the motorcyclist we had met at the Square Kauri. Good call, lovely large pub, decorated with equipment through the ages, chain saws, & general agricultural equipment, some of which I have no idea what they were. We had a couple of drinks and some potato wedges with bacon, cheese, yogurt, an excellent $20 spent.

Refreshed we left and headed North, then West again across the Coromondel, heading now to the Coromondel township, for some more dirt fun. This time we stopped at the Waiau Kauri grove where there was yet more pathways and platforms for us to traverse, and trees to be seen. Was persuaded to take a few pictures of some mosses. Am hoping some will  look like forests photographed from above.

We continued down the road, ignoring the water falls, we had seen enough and there are some good falls coming up in the days to come. Slowed up to see the pigs and piglets which were kept in a domestic/farm fashion, but allowed to wander at will across the road. We’ve seen a few signs warning of wandering stock, one even included a phone number to report the escapee.

We reached the township of Coromondel, stocked up with some lager for Rosemary and some essentials for the next couple of nights. Started heading off to the East coast to camp in a DOC site, but stopped. The weather forecast was dire for the next day, Cyclone Hola was due tomorrow. We decided to go for another posh site just North of Coromondel called the Shelley Beach, where we could cook and eat under shelter.

The beach here is very definitely shelly and goes out a long way at low tide.  Masses and masses of bi-valves. When we arrived there was a group of oyster catchers at the high tide mark and some white faced herons. Later we saw one of the heron chase after a sqashum. Also saw a rat wander around the beach. Again, R claimed to have seen a Kingfisher, but I didn’t. Suspect she is paying me back cos I was the one who saw the Kiwi,

After dinner, the West, towards Auckland was lovely, which made a nice end to the evening with the Oyster Catchers at the sea edge.

Miranda Shorebird Centre – Mar 10

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Miranda Shorebird Centre, Pied Stilt

Not a cloud in the sky. Usual breakfast of yoghurt and nuts, this time we added a mango to the mix. Packed up and ready to go to visit Helen. Helen is the daughter of one of Kingswood friends. The driver easily found her drive, but the passenger disputed the location and we had to go off on a little drive, and then back.  Despite the built-up area, the garden was beautifully quiet to sit in, chat and enjoy a cup of coffee. The pet rabbit of one of Helen’s daughters was a bit of an escape artist and rushed past us at intervals.

We parted ways and set off to Coromandel, going the motor way route through Auckland. The roads were busy with traffic, and there was one real hold up because of a previous accident. It had been cleared, but because of the large police presence and the obvious cause of the incident, there was still a huge delay, but totally freeflowing road afterwards.

When we left the State Highway we backtracked 10 km to a nature reserve on the mudflats at Miranda (Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre). There were a couple of hides, and a woman from the local birdwatchers who supplied three scopes and explanations of the birds on view. One endemic bird was a small grey/brown mud feeder called a Wry Bill. Spoonbills, Pied Stilts, White Headed Herons and Plovers.

We now drove back, heading this time for Thames, crossing the new double way bridge which replaces the long single track bridge which apparently caused chaos during busy periods. In Thames, a long shopping street with mainly closed shops and lots of open liquor stores, we stopped and bought a bottle of Bordeaux, from that well-known French settlement of Hawkes Bay, to accompany the fillet steaks for supper.

Arrived early at the Dickson Park Holiday Camp, where we have a nice grassy pitch and not a lot around us. Today is a washing day, the site’s Maytag machine is loaded and 4 dollars inserted. None of this eco wash, this one is over and done in 35 minutes. Except there was a tissue somewhere in the wash. Oops. Somehow, I suspect it was my fault, but I won’t confess. Drying took two goes.

Quietly drinking a beer in the sun listening to the gentle strum on an acoustic guitar.

A few asides. Everywhere, even in Auckland, there is a cacophony of cricket chirruping from the trees, although we cannot find the critters. Notices on the roads themselves are written as you come up to them, so you read GIVE before WAY. Many of the rolling hills look as though they are terraced, which they clearly are not. R’s first thoughts on the countryside was it all looked so smooth that it must be a golf course. Most bridges off the main roads are single track.