Beach Week (?weak)

Blonde Woman on blonde beach.  Nu Chums Beach north of Whangapoua

Another week.  Cheryl caught a ride with friends Didge, Adrian and Rose, Cathy and grandson Rhys, and Jackie to the northernmost tip of the Coromandel.  The Fletcher Bay to Stoney Bay tramp tied the gang together for two days.  Trails where roads were not mapped found cliffs overlooking the bays, islets, and pods of dolphins.  Traveling with people who enjoy the moment, understand their surroundings, and share the knowledge typifies the group.

Didge, a Pacific Islands botanist, and Adrian, a retired chemist,  sustained verbal pace with teachers Cathy and  Rose, as well as Jackie, an active social worker.  Cheryl rounded out the group as the professional questioner.

She returned with a couple more merit badges.










Back long enough to pick blueberries in a field "down the road" near the raspberry patch, Cheryl also began to harvest the plum tree in the back yard and take a scone baking lesson.

Paula Austin held scone court in her kitchen.  The mother of a professional chef, Paula has the New Zealand pastry well mastered.  This now equates to blueberry and plum scones in Tom and Cheryl's kitchen.

Tom and Cheryl completed the entire exploration of the peninsula by spending the weekend on the Pacific side (east coastline).  The beaches have wide, long expanses of white sand kissing the teal blue sea.  Water temperature refreshes briskly.  Swim suits remained intact.









Tom noticed a number of alluring gazes at his bright orange pre-GenX swim trunks.  Mostly from the European guys wearing band-os and pubic packs.  The beach roared its approval when the lumpy T-shirt came off.  His short display of hedonism did not deter the dynamic ocean.  The spectacle repeated itself at Oatama, Opika Bay, Nu Chums, Hot Water, Cathedral Cove, and Stingray beaches.  At the end of the tour his car had been ear-marked to be toted away from the parking lot with a note on the windshield,"Leave your man spanx on and leave the beach".  Everyone has their critics.

The Hot Water beach is a geologic anomaly whereby thermally heated seawater seeps up into the sand.  One tries to dig a hole in the place where the line of heated water is buffered by the non heated water.  Things can get a little hot if in the wrong place.  Hot Water Beach on a hot day did not last too long, so they moved on.












Each beach seemed unique.  All have not been evaluated.  They search for snorkeling stuff, but at the moment content with the sand between the toes and other places.

Cheryl hunting for shells on Oatama Beach

The Cove of Cathedral Cove

Lunch at Opika Bay Beach