Hot pools and waterfalls

Weather hadn't improved on opening the curtains so a cuppa in bed seemed the sensible option. Once we did get going it wasn't long before we stopped at Waiau Falls, a forest fringed waterfall lagoon. We jumped into the chilly pool for an invigorating swim in the rain. Given the rain the falls were working pretty well and to get beneath was some going.

The base for the next few days was Hahei, from here it gives us easy access to Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach.

We stuck our heads into Hahei library. The libraries in NZ have free wifi whereas before we were relying on MacDonalds but it looks like NZ haven't really bought into the complete American dream, no repetitive
outlet malls here of MacDonalds and K-mart. So the library is sure to now takeover the crown on how we communicate with the outside world. Shame as we were just getting into Mc D's long blacks not to mention the people watching! Mind you the last library didn't have a landline let alone wifi, then this one had opening hours of 12-2 pm! I considered leaving my cv but there was no mention of a lunch break. At least an hour would be needed so a daily surf could be squeezed in.

As the weather was getting worse, with the radio telling us it was the end of cyclone Vania we parked up on sheltered beachfront spot and got kettle on.

At this point I would also like to mention how many Yorkshire lads and lasses are living here, they are absolutely everywhere!

Come the morning, with Vania having passed through, the sun was at full heat come 8am so the 40 min walk to Cathedral Cove is back on. After walking for only 5 mins we stopped off at Stingray Bay. You'd think with the lack of people there it wouldn't be as nice as CC only being one bay round. But no it was lovely and we enjoyed our time specially as we had the bay to ourselves. Maybe the name puts people off ?
We didn't necessarily choose the right footwear to get to CC. Jandles (NZ for flipflops) for 40 mins never a great thing but arriving at beach level of the cove all that flipping and a flopping was well worth it. Most beaches that are only accessible by foot are normally stunning, CC joined that category.  Hot from the walk we were straight in the sea. As we got to waist height a healthy sized mantra ray just sunning itself in the shallows drifted by our feet. The walk in jangles? what walk...

Up early this morn for a quick bushwalk before breakfast to Shakespeare Cliffs and then on the pools at Hot Beach for low tide as this phenomenon only gets exposed at this point.

Some volcanoes develop huge underground reservoirs of superheated water. Over time, this water will escape to the surface — cooling on the way. There are two fissures at Hot Water Beach issuing water as hot as 64ºC (147ºF) at a rate as high as 15 litres/minute. This water contains large amounts of salt (NOT salt water), calcium, magnesium, potassium, fluorine, bromine and silica.

With people digging left right and centre mostly with plastic beach spades. Of course there was the odd 'real man' who'd come prepared with a Cornish shovel, no messing, hot pools for all in no time. Dave
on the other hand winced at the thought of all the large metal shovels and all those sand camouflaged small looking toes. The pace of some of these pool excavations some were lucky to still have feet let alone
toes!!  The water was unbelievably hot in places. To hot to even stand in let alone sit. If these were in England on a chilly day the queue to get in would be back up to France!  By the time we left we were suitably pink and wrinkly!