Karangahake Rail Tunnel

Part of the loop I chose was the Karangahake Rail Tunnel, a 1km long completely straight and rather moody former rail tunnel.
This made for an eery walk but was rather fascinating and nicely shadedЧитать далее
Pauanui Beach

As I headed further west and north onto the Coromandel peninsula my destination for the night drew nearer, but first of all was a stop to marvel at Pauanui Beach.
Pauanui Wharf

At the other end of the Pauanui Beach is the wharf. This looks over to Tairua which would be my destination for the evening. I also noticed how the sun was starting to set behind the bay which wouldЧитать далее
Tairua Beach

Despite Tairua being only a stone throw across the river from Pauanui, it was a half an hour drive since there was no bridge or tunnel!
After checking into my hostel I thought I'd go and explore theЧитать далее
Sunset at Mt Paku Summit

Towering over the town of Tairua is Mt Paku. This looked like it might be a great place to watch the sunset!
So I drove most of my way up the hill and then followed the footpath for 15 minutes up toЧитать далее
Hot Water Beach

The clue is in the name of this one! Today can only be described as an east coast of Coromandel tour, starting off with Hot Water Beach.
I shared a dorm last night with a girl from LA and a girl fromЧитать далее
Hahei Beach and Cathedral Cove

Next up was a trip to Hahei to take the track to Cathedral Cove! The path is officially closed due to landslides damaging the track but unofficially you can apparently still get to Cathedral Cove. IЧитать далее
Cooks Beach

A general theme for today is definitely beaches! A quick stop off this time at Cooks Beach. Beautiful but nothing particularly special at this point!
Whitianga

My journey they ventured through Whitianga, a place I'd seen signposted when I first set off towards the Coromandel peninsula. Not loads going on here, seems like a place for older people to come forЧитать далее
Whangapoua Beach

My final stop for the day before heading to my hostel was in Whangapoua. First of all I ventured onto the (first) beach of which the sand was incredibly white! But this was not the main event as IЧитать далее
New Chums Lookout & Beach

After a short walk and steep, scrambling ascent I reached New Chums Lookout which had to be one of the best views of the trip do far, and that's saying something!
I spent a while up here enjoying theЧитать далее
Dinner in Coromandel - Last Night in NZ!

Tonight I am staying in the town of Coromandel, on the west coast of its namesake peninsula. As my last night in New Zealand I treated myself to ribs at a popular nearby restaurant and they wereЧитать далее
Sunset at Coromandel Wharf

After dinner I headed down to the wharf jetty to enjoy the setting sun for one last time before moving on to pastures new.
Thames

After packing up for the final time in New Zealand I headed down the west coast of the Coromandel Peninsula to complete my circuit. I was somewhat slowed down by some total slow coaches in camperЧитать далее
Hunua Falls

My main stop of the day was at Hunua Falls! I spent a few hours here exploring the forest and by the waterfall reading. It was flooded with people by the time I left so I think I timed it well. BloodyЧитать далее
Returning thr Car

Alas the time had come to return the hire car, with around 800km more on the clock than when I picked it up! The trusty Toyota Aqua did me very well on the winding and hilly roads of the CoromandelЧитать далее
Auckland Airport

The time has come to leave New Zealand and head to Hawaii! A bittersweet moment as I've loved New Zealand but I know that more adventures lie ahead!
Waikiki Beach - First Impressions

After landing in Hawaii on probably zero sleep, I took the hour long bus to Waikiki. I checked into my hostel and headed down to the beach as soon as I could!
A really beautiful spot albeit lots andЧитать далее
Finding a Spot on the Beach

After exploring the length of the beach, I concluded I almost definitely was not going to be paying $50 for a sunbed and umbrella, so I found a tree that swayed in and out of the shade depending onЧитать далее
Heading to the Supermarket

After a few hours at the beach, I thought I should head to the supermarket so that I was prepared for the days ahead.
To help keep costs down, I took a little walk deeper into the city to head to theЧитать далее
Sunset

This sunset caught me a little offguard. I'd forgotten I'd changed hemispheres so when I stepped outside to see the sun almost down at 6:10pm, I was initially a little shocked, as I had in my headЧитать далее
Honolulu by Night

I intended to find a bar of some sort. But as I wandered around the city, there was something to see around every corner! So I just kept walking, taking it all in. I got lost a few times in hugeЧитать далее
Koko Crater Stairs

This morning bought a day pass for the bus and headed east. Today is 'President's Day' in the US, a Bank Holiday to celebrate the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln so the buses wereЧитать далее
Koko Crater Summit

Once at the top of the crater I was treated to stunning panoramic views over the city, suburbs, vegetation and out to sea! I took shelter under the viewing platform to catch my breath and enjoy an oatЧитать далее
Diamond Head

My second stop of the day was another dormant volcano, this time a little closer to the city. There were physical and virtusl signs all the way up the pathway to the entrance saying 'reservationsЧитать далее