Colville or bust

We’ve kicked off the new year with a quick road trip. A few months ago, my brother Hamish and I decided to take our two motorhomes on a circuit of the Coromandel Peninsula. Hamish bought his vehicle about a year ago, while Garry and I have been renting one in New Zealand over the New Year period.

On Friday, our mini convoy departed Cook’s Beach and headed north along the peninsula’s east coast. We stopped in Whitianga for groceries and grog before making our way towards Kuaotunu for lunch. Along the way, we made several beach stops, including Buffalo Beach in Whitianga and Simpson Beach at the northern end of Mercury Bay. That’s Hamish and me at picturesque Simpson’s Beach below.

We stopped for a leisurely lunch at Luke’s Kitchen, a bustling cafe opposite the mouth of the Kuaotunu River. The venue was packed with a queue for tables stretching down the street. After lunch, we crossed over the peninsula via Whangapoua Beach and made our way up the coast to Colville. Hamish booked us into a “free-camping” site next to the Hereford ‘n’ a Pickle cafe on the edge of town.

The campsite was the perfect spot for our first night on the road. The cafe featured an outdoor toilet block that we were free to use overnight. This saved us from using our motorhome’s chemical toilet. The local farmer’s herd also joined us briefly for cocktail hour. 

After dinner, we walked to Colville Bay on the outskirts of town, about 950 metres each way. Technically, this was as far north as we could take our rented motor home without voiding its insurance. Looking out across the bay’s sheltered waters at dusk proved rather therapeutic.

I’ve always wanted to visit Colville. That’s another item ticked off my bucket list. It was a quiet little town with a quirky General Store, and the coastal road was also incredibly picturesque. Even better, despite the time of year, there was no road traffic - just silence - punctuated by the soothing sound of animals tearing into a paddock of lush grass. It was bliss.

Follow this link for the next leg of our road trip.