Auckland, Whitanga, Mt Maunganui, NZ

Kia Ora... After a 13 hour flight, and flying through a international date line, we arrived in Auckland on the 9th December having lost a day of our lives. The 8th December 2006 will be a day that will have never existed in my life... strange huh!

I spent the day in Auckland before heading off to the Coramandel Peninsula, mainly getting over my jetlag. I spent the afternoon walking along Queens Street where the streets were filled with Christmas shoppers. I had the itch to go shopping and join in the Christmas fun, but obviously burning a hole in my visa card was not the best option so I bought a magazine in hope that it would give me a shopping fix!

After walking around for a bit, Auckland was familiar to me again and lots of memories of Sarah, Sinead and I being in Auckland last year came flooding back. It was great to walk passed the Minus 5 bar, where we had a great laugh posing with the ice sculptures and Portinfino's, Sinead and I's favourite Italian restaurant.

The next day I headed straight to the Coramandel Peninsula, an area of the North Island which is proclaimed to be one of the most beautiful areas of NZ. It definitely did not disappoint! I stayed in Whitianga the main settlement of Mercury Bay, which was quite a quiet town but had many hidden treasures which were to be discovered the next day.

A tour of the Eastern beaches revealed multiple stunning beaches & bays with azure blue waters and soft, clean sparkling white sand - the sand under your feet was like walking on powder... The tour took me around Shakespeare Head, boasting spectacular views on the settlements in Whitianga, Lonely Bay and Cooks Beach, all of which were simply gorgeous.

Hot Water Beach was the next stop, known for the hot springs that rise to the top of the sand when the tide is out. Many people visit the beach at low tide and dig their own hot bath with spades, unfortunately low tide on that day wasn't until 7.30pm, so I missed out. Even so, the beach was once again stunning. The last stop of the tour was the delightful Cathedral Cove, an hour hike was well worth it once I turned the corner and saw the most beautiful coastal scenery.

As I walked along the track, every twist and turn had me snapping with my camera and admiring the views. Smaller bays along the way, Gemstone and Stringray bay were gorgeous, however, Cathedral Cove topped it off and was the highlight without a doubt. The colour of the water was like nothing I had seen before, and the bright blue skies shining down on the pure white sand was amazing. I walked back along the track with a huge smile on my face, trying to work out how I could come back to NZ and live on the Coramandel Peninsula! My walk back eventually took me to Hahei Beach, a bigger but equally beautiful beach.

I left Whitianga the next day not wanting to stay too long and spoil my memories of the day before. The Coramandel Peninsula, Mercury Bay is an area that is full of spectacular coastlines, flanked by islands - an area not to be missed by anyone visiting the North Island.

Mount Maunganui in the Bay of Plenty was the next stop for a night. Another beach resort along the East coast just 2 hours south of Whitianga. Mount Maunganui has 2 beaches that sit either side of the Mount, the Main Beach stretches out and is popular with surfers. After lazing in the sun for a couple of hours, I took to the Mount and climbed 232 metres to reach the summit. A relatively easy walk with great look outs along the way. A relaxing few days and a great start to my time in NZ.