Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach

The next day had two activities on the agenda: Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach. Exciting! These are highlights on everyone's list. They're very popular, but not overcrowded. It required a bit of planning around the weather and tide. Totally worth it.

Cathedral Cove is the postcard picture of New Zealand. A long coastal track takes you around several bays. Steep staircases bring you down to the beach in each bay, with awesome views of the eroded cliff-faces all around you. The last staircase also heads down to a beach. But as you look around, you quickly notice a large opening in the cliff on the beach. It's a giant cavern/tunnel, that allows the beach to continue straight through to the other side. It's huge. When you're inside it really does feel like you're in a cathedral.

The rock on the far side is also quite spectacular. You can see the waves eating away at its base. I wonder how long it will stand. And which unfortunate couple will be standing underneath, getting their picture taken, when it falls =O

Hot Water Beach, the name says enough. A hot spring brings scalding hot water (>60°C) up from underground. It seeps through the sand as it makes its way to the ocean. But it'd be a waste to let all that heat mix with the endless Big Blue. So, countless people dig out their own little hot tub, like giant kids in a sandbox. It's important not to dig where it's too hot. Some people are so excited, they just start digging, in a spot that everyone else clearly avoided. Within seconds you see them hopping, swearing and tip-toeing to a cooler spot of sand. The trick, which people kindly explained to us, is to dig your pool just off to the side. And carving small channels through the sand, direct just the right amount of hot water into your pool! Genious! It took a little experimenting, and assimilating other pools, before our pool was jusssst right. And as a bonus, running into the chilly ocean water and back into the hot tub felt great! We soaked until the sun set and the tide came up to fill all the pools.Read more