Wednesday 1st March – Day 1
It had been four years since we had visited New Zealand, so a plan was made and off to the North Island we went, with our good friends Mark and Wendy.
We had a mid morning flight out of Sydney Airport, and met Mark and Wendy at the check in counter. Mark took us all to the Qantas lounge for a late breakfast, which was wonderful. Got to see how the important people spent their flight waiting time. We boarded an Emirates A380, double story airliner, which is a Qantas partner, and flew off to Auckland. On arrival, we picked up a nice green Commodore and headed off to ‘the Coromandel Peninsula’ for two nights. The farm cottage we had booked online, was at Miranda, so it was a little concerning when the GPS couldn’t find that area.

Lucky for signposts, I guess. The owner met us, living right next door, and showed us to the house. What a delightful cottage it was. Pretty gardens surrounded by fruit trees and flower gardens. Barry, the owner, supplied us with a big bowl of fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs. also said to eat as many grapes as we wanted off the vine as well as plums off the trees. We did just that. Had dinner the following night, at the local pub, which is across the road from the water.

Day 2
Today we drove to Thames -NZ pronounce it ‘Tims’ – and had a walk around the town before continuing on to Coromandel, where we stopped for lunch. We left there and followed the winding, waterfront roadway, which had an 80kph posted limit. Very few opportunities to pass anyone, so it was a major frustration to follow a car doing 40kph, and which slowed to 10kph on curves. There was a small man driving it, who was an obvious tourist and after several klms of this follow the leader, Mark got a chance to overtake. As he pulled out, so did the slow driver, into the middle of the narrow roadway. Mark gave him a toot on the horn to pass, and the angry ant leaned on his horn, weaving on the road as a string of other cars also passed him. There were some spectacular views and some very steep drop offs on the unfenced road.

Saw two cars down the bottom of a gully around a sharp curve. Either an insurance job or a couple of unfortunate accidents in the same spot.

Back to the cottage for a nice bbq dinner before facing a long drive up to Paihia the following day.