I woke up to sunshine, had some toast and talked with Alison and David. We discussed me possibly going to get a rental car, as it will be much more flexible and enjoyable than doing what I'm doing now. I started off for a walk to the mine pit and shaft. It was pretty warm out but the walk through the neighborhoods with gorgeous trees filled with flowers were quite a sight.
Finally at the mine, I got to see the huge mine shaft which is so old and cool I couldn't get enough of it. I walked up the hill to look over into the massive mine pit. It was just unreal, all the layers and colors of the earth below, and right on the edge of a town. The mine and one of the main Waihi streets aren't more than 35 yards away from each other. I walked up and around a part of the mine to get a good view. Instead of going down deep in the mine to find gold, they now blast and drill out from the mine and down as well. Near it, I walked in around the mine shaft for more pictures. It was last used in 1952.
I walked back to the house and took a quick shower. We ate pizza that Alison made up for lunch and it was delicious. I packed up my stuff and hung out a bit longer. We left for the bus stop and said our goodbyes. Once on the Mana bus, I called mom and dad. Unknown to me, I was meant to get off in a small town called Ngatea. It was about an hour wait until a smaller van/bus was to leave for Cathedral Cove on the Coromandel Peninsula. It was a beautiful, whindy drive through lush green and beautiful pastures and scenery.
An hour or more later, the van dropped me off at the general store in Hahei. I walked for a minute down the road and found the beach! Walked for maybe a half mile more and found the holiday park. I checked into my campsite, set up the tent and headed for Cathedral Cove. It started as a walk on the beach then a set of stairs brought me to a curvy, uphill trail in a jungle like forest. It eventually broke out up high on a cliff with amazing views of beaches, ocean, and many rock structures of all sizes sitting in the water. It curved, descended and ascended some more in and out of the jungle until finally a long set of wooden steps brought me down to the famous cove.
UN-REAL. It was better than I imagined it. The "Cathedral Cove Rock" was through a large dripping cave and since the tide was high, I wasn't able to exit the cave on the other side and walk more closely to the rock. On the entrance side of the cove, other neat rock formations sat in the surf. The cliffs and the trees surrounding it were so unique. There was also this protruding part of a cliff that you could climb. I took many pictures and hung out there for quite awhile but I knew it was getting late. I rushed back and at times I was jogging. Finally found the trail on the shore back to the campground and by this time it was dark. I changed into comfy clothes, crawled into my little tent and sleeping bag, and it felt oh so good. My little home. Zzzz.
