Day 5 – Paihia to Hahei

After the amazing time we had at Waitangi Treaty Grounds last night, we decided we had to come back for a proper look. We were there at 9am and checked-out the museum, had a guided tour and then another cultural performance. It was well worth going.

The museum was very educational and a local Maori woman took the tour and provided a nice personal touch. The dance group had some of the same members as last night and some similar songs and dances, but some new things as well. We could have spent another hour or so there just wandering through the grounds, but we needed to get on the road.

Now that the drive is over, I am glad to say that this was the longest day of driving of our trip. Just over 400km south from sunny Paihia, back through rainy, dreary Auckland and out east to the sunny Coromandel Peninsula. Over 5 hours of driving. Some of the same windy roads of course, without the excessive traffic, so not as arduous as on the way up. Pretty clear south-east of Auckland with much more farm land as the backdrop to our journey and much straighter roads for the most part. Quite windy for the last 20km or so, and then into lovely Hahei. We have a lovely cottage at “The Church”, with wooden floors and ceilings, crisp white bedding and our own private verandah.

Colin and I left the kids watching a movie after dinner and went for a walk through the town to the start of the big walk we are planning tomorrow to Cathedral Cove. It was quite a long uphill trek – and that was just to the start of the actual walk. We came home via an alternative route along the beach, which I think will be a better option as it wasn’t quite to steeply uphill. Will have to see how things go in the morning.