After we left the northland we explored the middle of the North Island. We started at the Coromandel Peninsula with a boat tour, hikes, and wine tasting. We then went to the Rotorua and Taupo areas to explore various geothermal fields.
Coromandel Peninsula
We really enjoyed our stay in Whitianga on the Coromandel Peninsula. Our first activity was a 2 hour boat cruise on the Ocean Leopard to see some of the sites from the water and go for a snorkel. One of the most famous sites is Cathedral Cove, which is now only accessible by water due to damage to the trail from Cyclone Gabrielle. (No one is allowed on the beach as they are assessing further landslides.) We also stopped by Hot Water Beach, but the cyclone took away 3 feet of sand and it is not possible to build sand hot tubs at this time.
We also explored the remote beaches north of Whitianga and hiked out and up to Opito Pa.
New Zealand has strict and complex rules around liquor sales on Good Friday and Easter. In most cases alcohol can’t be sold, however it can be served at restaurants on those days if it is consumed within an hour of eating. Rain was forecast for Good Friday, so we went to have lunch at a Mercury Bay Estate winery. The weather turned out to be great and the lunch and wine were delicious. New Zealand is heading into fall, so there should be grapes (and leaves) on the vines. However, cyclone Gabrielle had stripped off both the grapes and leaves so there will be no 2023 wines from these vineyards.
Waihi Gold Mine Tour
After leaving Whitianga we went south to Rotorua. On the way we stopped in Waihi for a gold mine tour. The Martha open pit mine has been closed for several years due to a giant slip inside, but they are planning to resume excavation soon. We were also taken inside the security fence to view the ongoing mine operations. Gold has been an important part of New Zealand’s history, and it was interesting to learn about the processes behind modern day mining.
Rotorua and Taupo Volcanic Zone
The area around Rotorua is famous for its geothermal activity. While not quite on the scale of Yellowstone, it is still an interesting area to explore. We visited Waimangu, Waiotapu, and Orakei Korako geothermal fields. They each have different highlights shown in the pictures below.
Tuapo
Near Taupo are the Aratiatia Rapids. In the 1950’s a hydro dam was built above the Aratiatia Gorge that had been a major tourist destination due to the dramatic rapids. To compensate, the hydro operator releases water a few times a day so people can see what the rapids looked like before the dam was built. It is interesting to watch the release fill the gorge; the power of the water is amazing.
One fun experience in Taupo was at our hotel (The Baycrest Lodge) that included a personal mineral spa. Apparently they have a hot water spring under the hotel. To fill up the tub there are two taps…one from the spring and another for cold water. It was really fun and relaxing!
From Taupo we headed to Tongariro National Park for our last volcanic adventure.