Hahei Holidays

Last week I went to the beach for 5 days, this time to a place called Hahei! On our way to Hahei we stopped in Waihi to make a 25k bike ride in the burning sun. It was a beautiful track next to a river in the mountains. It was an old railway track so there was a tunnel. The tunnel only had a few dark lights and it was freezing cold! It was scary riding my bike in the dark not knowing where i was going and the tunnel looked and felt endless!

We stayed at a quite big house with a view of the ocean and little islands around. So every morning i'd eat my cereal looking at the ocean and waves. It was really hot so I got a tan wooh :) We did different things. The second day we went for a run on the beach to this mountain. We walked it up and because the water was so still I had an amazing view looking at the beach and the crystal clear water! While standing there I met 2 people from rotary, such a coincidence. Later that day we took the ferry to a place close to Hahei, Whitianga. It’s a small city but very cute next to the beach. We had lunch and had some amazing warm pastries. It’s funny to see how you have palm trees next to the water but at the same time also pines! Weird combination, you literally have everything in one place here. And something else that fascinates me, everywhere I go I see clear water, I can exactly see what’s at the bottom of the lake/ocean, and me hating unexpected plants and animals, it’s perfect.

The next day instead of a run we did a walk to a hidden beach where one of my favorite movies was filmed, narnia!! It was so hot and it was a 45-minute walk one way so pfew! Knowing New Zealand it wasn’t a flat walk, of course filled with ups and downs around the mountain but as usually it was definitely worth it. We came down to this white sandy beach with crystal clear blue water and low growing green trees. There was a big cave splitting the two small beaches and there were 2 huge rocks in the water. I couldn’t stop taking pictures and I’m still amazed. I didn’t really recognize it because I haven’t seen the movies in ages but I think it’s the second one. On our way back we made a little Indian friend. After that we had some lunch and got ready for our next stop: The hot water beach! It was my first time going to an actual hot water beach so I was excited. I thought it meant that there’d be a beach and a sea, of course, but the seawater was warm. This was not the case. My host mum told us to take a spade because other wise it’d be hopeless. So we did. Arriving there I saw a bunch of people all sitting in their own little self made mini pools next to the water. So this is how it goes: You take your spade and search for a spot close to the sea and dig a hole. Then the hole will be filled up with water and if you’re lucky it’s hot and that’s how you make your own little pool and sit in it. The problem is, is that I can be too hot like really really boiling hot. I was just walking around trying to find the right spot and found an empty pool with water. I saw some bubbles but thought it was because the water was moving so stepped in it. Well the water was bloody cooking!!! It was bubbling because it was so hot! I burned my feet and jumped into another pool where the water was the same temperature. I am absolutely sure that if I brought some raw eggs I could just boil my egg. We finally found a spot but I had to make sure the dyke was strong enough because the waves were getting stronger and were destroying our pool with it’s freezing cold water. It was pretty cool though and I came across a Dutch couple!

After a day with different activities Maria and I decided to climb the same mountain next to the beach, this time with my camera, to see the amazing view. Exhausted we were walking up and this 70 year old man was just casually running up and down the mountain :/ why are people so fit here!!! The ocean was really wild that day so the water wasn’t as clear as the other day but on the other hand we could see the waves crashing onto the rocks, so cool! The rest of the day I spent on the beach and I even went for a swim in the freezing cold water! The waves were so strong and high so after a few times being washed up and finding my bikini all messed up I decided to leave and sunbathe a little more.

The last day we went another way home so I went up north along the beach. At one point up in the mountain I could actually see the sky tower in Auckland even though Auckland was on the other side of the ocean at that stage! So cool! My lunch was very kiwi! In the sun next to the beach eating fish and chips, for me chicken nuggets and chips.

This is getting way too long so I’ll make an end to this! These next few days of holidays I’ll use to exercise a little bit (big sigh) and keep up with my writing. Weather in Rotorua at the moment is, sorry for my language, very shit. It’s cloudy and cold and stormy bleh! But that’s home ☺ I’ll have to wait for my South Island trip next month!!! Aaah so excited. Well for now, goodbye and goodnight.