Another change of scene

Hell to Heaven

Day 36 of the motorhome journey (hard to believe) brings us to the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula, and specifically to our campsite at Shelly Beach, just north of Coromandel town.

Before that, however, a final geo-thermal stop on our way out of Rotorua: Hell's Gate, so named by George Bernard Shaw when he vsitied in 1904. Not surprising that the name stuck - it's a landscape of boiling sulphur ponds, bubbling jet-black craters and mini mud volcanos, like some chemistry experiment gone horribly wrong. Half-expected Mr Hyde to emerge from the steam.

Being considerable braver than me, Barb had a mud facial, which I'm told was excellent.

We haven't mentioned the orchards which have lined our route for the last few days, supplemented today by Kiwi fruit trees. Kiwi fruit is delicious, and unusual among my favourite things in actually being good for you.

As so often, the day's drive has taken us to a completely different set of landscape and activities. This is beach country, a chance to swim, relax, and clear the smell of sulphur out of our lungs. Surely, nowhere else can match New Zealand's range of natural environments in such a small radius.

Beach report tomrrow.