Day 3..... Auckland to Hotwater Beach

Now, I don't want to spend my time comparing this trip with my big fat aussie adventure so if I do you must excuse me.

So, off I set from the supermarket campervan jamboree to take the coast road some 200k to my first destination, Hot Water Beach, so named as the beach has hot water on it, or under it.  Simples.  Apparently, at high (or low I'm not sure....) you dig a hole and because of the volcanic plates beneath, hot water fills the said pool.  I was looking forward to this.

Now the road that I was going to take hugged the coast and looked pretty straightforward (excuse the pun).  This could have not been further from the truth.  Sorry to break my promise so soon, but last year I travelled the ridiculously twisty roller coaster of a road, the Great Ocean Road in Oz and the stupidly named but even twistier Road 1 in Tasmania, both giving squeals and whoops and 'shit!' at almost every turn.  Breathtaking scenery and bends that would make Jeremy Clarkson's hair grow back on top.....

Sweet baby Jesus and the Orphans.  This road, the '2' or Pacific Coast Highway made both of them look like a trip round the M25. 

IN-CRE-DIB-LE is one way to describe the 180 or so kilometres of the Kopu to Hikuai road.  You would think they would mention somewhere that it was a little bit twisty, a bit high and low and had scenery that could render even me speechless.

I genuinely cannot describe the wonder of it all, only to say that I must have used all the describing words (not sure if they are adjectives or nouns) on this stretch of road. In the words of the wallpaper manufacturer Graham and Brown, of Super Fresco fame 'what goes up, must come down.......'

Trevor was a dream.  Not once did he moan and my constant gear changing and dodgy use of the clutch.  If he carries on like this we will get on fine...

I didn't make too many detours on the way, mainly because I wanted to get to the campsite, check in and then get to this beach.

And so, I arrived to a rather lovely site, full of Germans and kids young enough to be my children on gap years, wearing next to nothing and playing Frisbee, and when I had driven round the site twice, only to find No.2 pitch was right by the entrance I had driven in, I headed out for some hot water.

Well, I'm thinking of having them under the trades descriptions act.  Hot Water Beach my arse.  BOILING HOT WATER BEACH MORE LIKE!  I burnt my friggin feet!  It was steaming!  I obviously didn't buy a spade at the supermarket so I just loitered to see if anyone would vacate their hole, and jumped in one as they got up to go cool off in the sea.....and I could feel why! I only put my plates of meat in and I was hopping like Michael Flatly for ages!!

So after making a tit of myself it was back to the site to make home with Trevor.  Couldn't be bothered to cook so took advantage of the very handy fresh fish and chip shack on site.  And lovely it was too, shame the frozen chips let it down but the fish was nom nom nom.  All washed down with a lovely bottle of local Merlot and it was time for some well earned zzzzzzzzz's

So, as I drifted off to sleep with Trevor, I thought that if this was just our first date, what else was to come.........