Well Hot Water Beach lived up to it's name, we dug a hole in the sand and the hole filled with hot water, actually it was bloody boiling in some places and we spent a good three hours lazing in our own private volcanic pool. It wasn't quite as private as it sounds as there were actually about 100 other people lounging in their own equally private hot water pools but there you go. After our soak we found a campsite down a long winding track, the track went on forever and soon turned into an unsealed road and then we crossed a river and by this time I was getting flashbacks to Nicaragua, but eventually we pulled up in the Coromandel national forest and paid a pittance to stay in a lovely forest. The only downside were the showers, I had hoped for a nice shower to wash off the mountains of sand which had accumulated in my pants in our private hot water pool, but showering in a forest is never fun and so I decided that a few strategically placed wet wipes would suffice.
The next day was great, a really unplanned brilliant day. We got up and did some French and then walked into the forest along a stream, passing old gold mine tunnels on the way. We wandered down to the stream and paddled out, jumping on the rocks and building a damn in the middle with all the huge boulders. After this we drove into town and went to the supermarket buying fresh bread, ham, cheese and avocados for a delicious sandwich and then headed off to find another camp site. The main sites are all very expensive this weekend as it's New Zealands national day on Sunday but we managed to find another site off the beaten track where there were no other campers so we had the whole place to ourselves. We unpacked and cleaned out the van and made a lovely stir fry with loads of fresh veggies, got the washing done, read books, played cards and generally had a nice relaxing evening (I even managed to get that much needed shower). Then I updated the blog and booked our final nights accommodation in Auckland at the Travel Lodge yippee!!
I also thought some more about the trip, sometimes I lose sight of what we are doing and slip back into not doing the things I want to do (for example I'm really mad that I didn't ride the advanced Luge in Rotarua, I mean when will I ever get the chance to do that again). So I have decided to lighten up again and make the most of each moment, I'm not sure when I stopped doing that, I think it was around Napier, maybe that's what I needed to do then after the manicness of Central America, but it seems like such a waste. Anyway I feel like I have woken up again to the spirit of what we are doing and the spirit of adventure. Enjoying the freedom and I realised yesterday that I actually really like travelling (even in a small van with two smelly boys).
So today we are heading out of the Coromandel I think and moving towards the Bay of Islands, we need to be in Auckland to pick up Will's friend Tom and his girlfriend Claire who are arriving and travelling with us for the last week of the NZ leg. So I invite you all to embrace your day today and perhaps do something a little off the wall to also embrace the spirit of adventure - please let me know what you did.
ps. In the forest I had a dream that I met Laurence Delaglio (is that how you spell it?) and then another dream in which my Dad was due to have lunch in Gold Brick House with Joe Cocker but cancelled it because he thought he was too fat (my dad not Joe) so instead myself and Debra Wren went and met him and Debbie was wearing a wedding dress, make of that what you will!!
