“Not all those who wander are lost.”

― The Lord of the Rings

After staying in Auckland for three nights, it was time for a road trip on the north island of New Zealand!

Driving in New Zealand

I felt prepared for my journey, but there was one thing I was concerned about: driving on the "wrong" side of the road. I prefer to travel by train or bus whenever possible, but in New Zealand, it would have been too limiting and too stressful. I don't have that much driving experience, and maybe that's what actually helped me — despite the massive jet lag I still had. The technical part of driving while seated on the right side of the car was surprisingly easy, as if it didn't make any difference at all. Everything is mirrored except for the pedals. A giveaway for tourists coming from right-side driving countries are active windshield wipers on a sunny day. I am proud to announce that it didn't happen to me even once! 😎. Later, I have found out that the controls weren't actually inversed, so there's nothing to be proud about 😅

As for the participation in the road traffic, it wasn't too bad, either. In the beginning, I've followed the Japanese "pointing and calling" technique to constantly remind myself of the traffic rules. After a couple of days, it felt completely natural. At one point, I even started to enjoy driving.

Getting around the Coromandel Peninsula means taking State Highway 25: 270 km of winding and hilly roads with almost 1000 curves. So many car accidents happen here that a "Stay alive on 25" road safety campaign has been started. It was basically one curve following another, but again, it was quite okay. I guess the scenery made the trip worth it.

Now some insights and fun facts around driving in New Zealand:

• "Slow vehicle bays" are common on curvy and/or tight roads. I've used them both to let others pass me or to pass others myself. I love that concept!
• "Passing lanes" are sporadic ~1 km long lanes to overtake other cars. The sign always states to "stay left unless passing". Once, a slow car intentionally moved to the right lane to let others pass — a tourist following their habits I assume. Interestingly, it is allowed to overtake other cars from both sides in New Zealand.
• The traffic cone per capita is 42. Okay, I've made up that number, but they are everywhere. There are lots of "road works" with hunderds of traffic cones on the side of the road and nothing else. People usually drive 80 km/h through those 30 km/h sectors.

Pro tip: put on some Lord of the Rings music to make the trip even more epic! 🧝‍♀️🧙‍♂️

Exploration

I drove around the entire Coromandel Peninsula and stayed in Coromandel Town and Tairua. The entire route is scenic and offers lots of lookouts along the way.

I was considering to visit the Cathedral Cove or the Hot Water Beach, but they seem to be overrun by tourists. I've learned from some locals about the New Chum Beach and decided to go there instead. It is a deserted beach and ranked among the Top 10 beaches in the world. There are no buildings, roads or infrastructure. You can only get there by boat or a 30-minute hike, which is what I chose to do.

The beach is only accessible at low tide, as you have to pass through a stream of water. When I arrived, it was deeper and wider than expected, but after putting on my swimming shorts, I've got to the other side.

Then, the actual hike began, following the rocky coast and a coastal jungle.

Finally, I was rewarded with a beautiful view of a huge beach with only a few people.

As a child, I could stay the whole day in the sea. Somewhere along the way, I have lost the enjoyment of outdoor swimming. However, I could not resist here, having a piece of the beach all to myself. That was my first swim in the Pacific Ocean!

On the way back, I've climbed (literally) to a lookout for an even better view.

Despite putting an SPF 50 sunscreen twice, I've got an unwanted reminder of my trip for the next few days. The sun really is harsh here (not that I wasn't warned about it before).

Experiences

I also did a few activities during my short stay on the peninsula.

First, I took a trip with the Driving Creek Railway — a narrow mountain railway. It was constructed by Barry Brickell, who dedicated his life to this project, among with his passion for pottery. I was fortunate to be on a tour with only two other passengers, making it even more enjoyable. We had to stop multiple times to change the direction and get over steep passages. At the top of the track, we've reached the Eyeful Tower (pun intended), with a great overview of the region.

For the next day, I have booked a zipline tour with the same company. Riding all eight ziplines with a total of 200m was a fun experience. The highlight were two tracks where it was possible to go upside down. I don't know why no one else dared to try it, as it made the ride so much more exciting!

In Tairua, I booked a boat trip to the Aldermen Islands. In the last century, the access was strictly restricted, mostly to the Department of Conservation and other environmental organizations, making the islands a perfect place for fauna and flora that can't be found anywhere on the mainland.

After seeing lots of birds and learning more about the islands, our skipper got us to a beautiful snorkeling place. Most of the passengers were Kiwis, and it was fun to see how everyone — from children to grandparents — immediately went into the water. I've never snorkeled before, but I was more than curious to try it out. After getting a quick introduction, I (literally) took the plunge and jumped off the boat into the refreshing ocean. It was a weird feeling to have the face underwater, and yet being able to breath. However, I've had difficulties breathing calmly, and my mask filling with water made it even more challenging. Our skipper brought some Kina (sea urchin) from the sea floor, both to bait the fish and to have us try it. Kina is considered a New Zealand delicacy. I've enjoyed the experience of tasting raw, fresh sea urchin, but I doubt I will ever eat this slimy and crunchy meal again 😅

Fauna

On my way to New Chum Beach, I've encountered two variable oystercatchers. Their name refers to the frontal plumage, which differs based on the latitude of the habitat. They are endemic to New Zealand.

Cormorants can be often spotted near the sea.

While we all know gulls as food-stealing creatures roaming populated areas, their natural habitat looks more like that:

Here's a high key photo I like of what I believe to be a flock of ducks:

Finally, all woods were full of cicadas. In the Driving Creek, there were so many of them, that sometimes it was difficult to talk to others.

Takeaways

I've been always drawn to try new things, but the last few days pushed it to a new level. I'm becoming more and more a Yes Man, taking up any opportunity that arises. I'm loving the freedom and all the new experiences!