Hahei beach is a lovely place for a day or with a family. I spent one night at the hostel which was ok I suppose. My roommates were fine but the room was a bit warm and stuffy where my top bunk was situated. I wasn’t very comfortable and came down with a fairly intense bout of vertigo in the middle of the night. I got up exhausted but started to feel better once I got moving around. I decided Hahei would be a one night stop but I’d walk to Cathedral Cove before moving on. I packed my pack and left it with reception.
Cathedral Cove is one of the main attractions along the Coramandel Peninsula. From Hahei it’s about a 15 to 20 min walk to the trailhead car park then it takes 30 to 45 min by foot to reach a cove with white a sand beach backed up to cliff and forest. The Cathedral is a tunnel that connects two beaches during low tide. I was told that the Cove tended to be crowded during the day, especially during low tide, however, I’m finding that New Zealand summer crowds are not like summer crowds in Europe or America. A pleasant walk above the coast led to the cove with a fair number of people but I wouldn’t say crowded.
When I arrived at the beach there were people scattered about and few swimming in rough surf. The tide was still up but it was pretty easy to access the Cathedral between wave sets. The other side of the cave was not accessible yet. Inside the Cathedral there were a few people and I took a couple of photos. Shortly thereafter I had it to myself. I leaned against the cave wall while watching and listening to waves crashing on both sides. I guess I had it to myself for ten minutes or so before anyone else walked in. For a moment I felt a little bit of travel magic that I really haven’t been feeling on this trip. Vertigo has had me second guessing myself.
I’ve been a little on edge as far as deciding what I think I should or shouldn’t be doing. Should I do a big hike or just take it easy? Should I eat that lamb and mint burger and wash it down with a couple of beers? Or, should I have a pot of rice and veggies with no salt back the hostel? Coffee seems a little risky so none of that. When I travel I usually don’t worry about such things. Local food and drink are always a nice part of any trip. Eating carefully and healthy while avoiding coffee and alcohol is a good thing regardless. If I throw caution to the wind, eat and drink whatever, I may or may not get away with it.
Perhaps I’m in a bit in denial but I’m not really sure if being strict about my diet makes much difference at all, however, research says it can. As is I'm typically a pretty healthy eater and not excessive with coffee or alcohol. There has to be a root cause for what’s triggering the vertigo but it’s very difficult to know precisely what it is. For now it’s a new norm that I manage. I suppose at some point I’ll jump on the bandwagon of alternative therapies and see if anything helps. New Zealand is a pretty darned healthy place and there are plenty of alternative practitioners. Maybe I’ll try something along the way.
Anyway, For a moment in the Cathedral I felt like myself. There was also a moment in Auckland when I was walking around the park behind the hostel looking at big trees that I felt like my old self. Other than that I can’t really say I’ve found my stride but I’m in an awfully beautiful place to try and sort it out.
I’ve only been in New Zealand for a week and like I always say it takes two weeks to transition from one routine to another. Factor the jet lag, traveling on the road, different food, sleeping in hostels, camping in a tent, etc. takes time to get use to again. We’ll see where I’m at in a couple of weeks. I suspect I’ll be feeling better. If not, I’ll have to reassess what I’m doing.
Yesterday, Friday, after visiting Cathedral cove I traveled a short distance via shuttle and hitch hiking to Tairua. I checked into a Backpackers hostel located on a tidal bay with a nearby ocean beach. I’m in a 6 bed shared room with a large window overlooking the bay. A small volcano decorates the background like a restaurant mural. The volcano is covered with forest and holiday homes with a pointy summit. There’s footpath to the top.
Backpacker hostels are a great value in an otherwise expensive country. The place I’m staying at, aside of being in a beautiful location has bikes and kayaks to use for free. With the small discount I get from a Backpackers discount card it’s only costing me around $17 USD a night. Like all hostels there’s a community kitchen and common area. As usual I find it costs me about the same and often times less to travel and live abroad than simply exist at home. Throw in camping and the cost goes down. I’ll generally camp at hostels when possible for a little extra privacy.
I’ll stay a total of three nights in Tairua taking it easy.
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