Closing the loop

Our final day on the Coromandel was spent driving down the coast to Thames and on towards Karangahape Gorge. This stretch of coastal road proved the most scenic of our entire journey. The road hugs the coast, offering mile after mile of rugged, Pohutukawa-framed views. We stopped several times to admire the Hauraki Gulf in all its glory.  The birdlife was also out in force wherever we were.

After a quick motorhome lunch in Thames, we took a detour to complete the Rail Tunnel Loop Walk on the outskirts of Karangahape. This 4.2 km walk includes a one-kilometre passage through an old brick-lined railway tunnel and a return circuit along the river. Although we walked an extra kilometre to and from the nearest motorhome-friendly carpark on a steep hillside by the river. 

Last night we stayed in a campground at Miranda Hot Springs. We spent the evening soaking in the campground’s recently refurbished hot pools before cooking up a storm on the BBQ. Our stay was perfectly timed as the hot pools only reopened two weeks ago.

So that's it. I've finally completed a circuit of the Coromandel Peninsula and seen the tiny settlements of Colville and Coromandel with my own eyes. Loved it all. Despite the time of year, the region was crowd-free with plenty of epic coastal scenery. Another tick on the bucket list.

This morning, we packed up our gear, cleaned our motorhome and made our way back to the depot at Pokeno. Once again, Garry and I ran late, arriving more than 30 minutes after our drop-off time. However, once again, the staff proved very amiable, and our tardiness wasn’t an issue. Likewise, while we returned our motorhome with a full tank of fuel, we failed to refill the natural gas tanks as instructed. The staff weren’t the least bit concerned and ultimately didn’t bother to charge us a refill fee.

We’re now sitting in the lounge at Auckland Airport getting ready to fly direct to New York. This flight is one of my many bucket list experiences. I love that you fly direct to the Big Apple, avoiding a painful transit through Los Angeles or Dallas. The world gets smaller every day.