Hot

Hamilton gardens were beautiful, sweeping lawns in that vibrant green I now associate with New Zealand. After lunch, we went on exploring and looked through the Paradise Gardens, which were recreations of gardens in different cultures, including India, Japan, China, England and Modernist America. I was very excitable by all the macro photo opportunities and have now got way too many shots of flowers...
We settled up in the gardens carpark for the night after walking through the forest, along the Waitikere River and looking at a random Russian log cabin which I now wish to occupy. We sat out on the lawns for our dinner (chilli) and watched The Bourne Ultimatum once it got dark.
Come morning, we woke to blue skies and sunshine and, although I also had a bit of a snuffly nose as well, we set off in reasonable spirits. Our aim was Te Awamutu and from there onto Pirongia.On the way we drove through Cambridge, which hosted Roche St.!
After attempting to get into the Pirongia Forest Park, we decided it was a giant conspiracy as each road sign directing us there took us instead closer to Raglan again! In the end, we gave in to fate and drove back through Raglan. This turned out to be a worthy sidetrack - today, Raglan was gorgeously sunny and the sea a gentle azure blue. We stopped for lunch ('Gunod' (?) fish and chips and ginger beer. It was yummy, especially considering the view - right over the harbour from the wharf, mountains in the distance and even an old fashioned pirate ship.
Our next destination was Kawhia. We embarked upon the road, edging the coastline and experienced the most mental road we have so far stumbled upon. The roads so far have been wide, smooth and easy to drive, with twists and turns to keep it exciting. Times this by 20, and you have the Kawhia road. Gravel as apposed to tarmac, stomach-clenching edges, head-turning heights, landslides...I loved it and now want to do a quadbike or 4WD adventure. The scenery exposed us to dark green fir forests lining the pastoral hillsides which got more and more rugged. The sheep appeared to be wearing wollen knickerbockers and the lambs (Spring again!) gambled across sheared-off rock and streams. Where landslides had occurred, the sides of the road were deep, intense ochre colour. We stopped off a few times to get pics of the surroundings and take a break from the jiggling about in the car, like ping pong balls.
The whole time, the only other vehicles we saw were three seperate quadbikes - crewed by ten+ kids. I have no idea where the adults are in this area, but the kids have the run of the place.
We arrived in Kawhia and parked up. The sand was black, with a purply sheen and so unbelievably soft and silky on the feet. We climbed the dunes and viewed the sea. We had heard that Kawhia was a hot water beach. The water was very, very cold. We met some other trippers who had been digging about and found nothign but cool water. We grabbed sticks and started digging our own patches of sand around the vast beach. After a good hour or so of hunching over the sand and stabbing away with twisted sun-bleached sticks, steam started to pour out of the ground. We dug faster. The water filling the hole was boiling hot. Alex actually burnt himself. Quickly, we opened up the ground, making a round, shallow pool of steaming hot water. The air was freezing cold, the wind biting, but we could not resist the thought of a hot bath after three days living out of a car.
There is nothing so good as luxuriating in your own personal, natural jacuzzi on a windblown beach.
The walk back to the car however, was coooold! After a change of clothes and a snack, we set out yet again. This time, we headed for a shop Alex had previously found on the net, which promised free overnight stays to campers. Having arrived, we made up our macoroni cheese and viewed the misty mountains. After popping into Bill and Brenda's for cookies, we found out just how generous Kiwi's can be.
They have given us a ready-brewed hot water supply, allowed me to charge all my gadgets, given us use of the washing machine and laundry line, the shower and, they even taped the F1 and are allowing us to sit in their closed cafe so I can blog and Alex can watch the practice sessions in Japan. The wind outside is blowing such a gale that the car is acually rocking gently, so to be safe and warm inside is brilliant. The cookies are flippin' amazing too.
Tomorrow, we plan to head to Otarohanga and Waitomo, to get some caving adventure time. Glowworms should be sighted with any luck. Today has been amazing. Tomorrow can only get better.