Student Bloggers

Honestly, winter is quite the overstatement, at least in the North Island, where it averages like 60 degrees Fahrenheit at the peak of winter. Nevertheless, I can say I went to the beach in the winter time!

Saturday
We left around 9 am and drove a little under 2.5 hours to the Pinnacles.

• The Pinnacles
  We did the out and back Pinnacles trail which was about 9 miles and about 3,000 feet of elevation gain. Took us about 5 hours I believe. The last part to get up to the Pinnacles was definitely tough, lots of stairs and some scrambling, but the view was so worth it. 
  
  There is also the option of staying at the Pinnacles Hut. It is pretty popular to hike to the hut, and then wake up early the next morning to do the final part of the hike up to the Pinnacles to see the sunrise.
  
  After the hike we headed straight towards our campground for the night, right by Hot Water Beach. The drive was about an hour and a half.
• Hot Water Beach Top 10 Holiday Park
  This campground is a really nice, cheap option, just a 5 minute walk from Hot Water Beach. They had a little food spot which was very convenient and pretty yummy. They have lots of amenities—showers, bathrooms, pools, etc.—and it is all clean and well-maintained.

Sunday
We woke up early to pack everything up and head to the beach. We grabbed some coffee from the little food spot and some muffins from reception. We were also able to rent a shovel from the Holiday Park for $5 NZD!

• Hot Water Beach
  They say the best time to visit is 2 hours each side of low tide. I found the low tide times on Discover Hot Water Beach.
  
  Basically, there is a map of where the two hot springs are. You dig a hole and the water will come up and you will have your own little hot tub!
  
  For us, low tide was at 11:15 am so we got there at 9:15 am. Unfortunately, the water was still covering the hot springs at the time, so we had to wait a little for the tide to go out until we could actually start digging. However, it was good we went early because the area got more and more crowded as low tide approached. You are able to feel around with your feet where the hot springs are and where the hot water is coming from. There is also a little spotthat bubbles that makes it pretty clear. We were able to find a good spot and stake a claim until low tide came, before a majority of the people showed up.
  
  For a while, I didn’t believe that the water was actually going to be hot, but it really was boiling. It was super cool. It was really busy when we went, as it was a Sunday, but it was still an awesome experience and totally a must do! They also have low tide times at night which could be another nice time to go.
  
  After Hot Water Beach we drove towards a town called Hahei. We took the ferry over to Whitianga where we got a great lunch from Smitty’s Sports Bar and Grill, and then took the ferry back and drove over to Hahei Kayak Rentals.
• Cathedral Cove
  Cathedral Cove is another one of those places that is listed as a “must do”. There are many ways to see it, but we found that kayaking was the most affordable way (and gave you the most freedom). We rented from Hahei Kayak Rentals which was a great deal and no hassle.
  
  We were out for a stunning two hours. We stopped at a little bay called Stingray Bay, which has cool little caves, and then we made our way to Cathedral Cove which was gorgeous.

Take a trip to the Coromandel!
There is sooo much to do and see in the Coromandel area. This is just one way to do it! Regardless of how you want to go about it, it is definitely worth a visit.