Last night we arrived to and cooked dinner at our rental "bach", a New Zealand vacation house. This place is beautifully designed. There is enough room to sleep four, a washer/dryer, modern bathroom, leather couches, and grand views of popular Hot Water Beach.
Hot Water Beach sits over some geotherms that are quite close to the surface, the result being that as the tide recedes, water in the sands gets heated quite vigorously. Locals have been coming to this beach forever and have figured out that at low tide you can dig your own "hot tub" in the sand! When we first arrived last night we could see the activity from the house so we walked down to the beach to check it out. Everyone was soaking in steaming pools in the sand and having a grand time. As it had been a long day we walked back to the house, had dinner, and went to bed.
Since we're entering the final days of vacation it's time to start slowing things down and take it easy. There is a LOT to see in this country but as you may have noticed it requires a lot of travel from point A to point B. I chose this location for its proximity not only to Hot Water Beach, but another popular spot called Cathedral Cove.
Fifteen minutes away is a marine refuge with pretty beaches and a 2.5-kilometer path that brings you to a soft pink sand beach and a natural archway (hence, the "Cathedral"). It was overcast so the sea wasn't very brilliant but you could tell that under bright sunshine it is a nice blue/green color like at Abel Tasman.
We basically did this easy hike and played a game of NZ-themed Monopoly where Hans brought me nothing but financial ruin which I though was a little suspect since it was because I couldn't afford the likely-over-inflated rent at Christchurch Cathedral (too soon?).
In the evening at low tide we went down to the beach and dug our little "hot tub". It was actually a little trickier than I thought because you want to be close enough to the geotherms to keep your pool warm but not so close that you get scalded, which was definitely a risk. After squishing our feet into the sand to find the best hot spot, I stepped onto one patch of beach surface and actually had to jump away because it was super hot! We moved over a few yards and dug in. It was a very intersesting experience. Hans of course was more interested in running out into the Pacific so he had fun doing that. I went out and dunked my whole body and head under so I could say that I did but it was freakin cold! Regardless it was all a lot of fun but we were glad that it was a short walk to the beach house at the end of the night.
Fifteen minutes away is a marine refuge with pretty beaches and a 2.5-kilometer path that brings you to a soft pink sand beach and a natural archway (hence, the "Cathedral"). It was overcast so the sea wasn't very brilliant but you could tell that under bright sunshine it is a nice blue/green color like at Abel Tasman.
We basically did this easy hike and played a game of NZ-themed Monopoly where Hans brought me nothing but financial ruin which I though was a little suspect since it was because I couldn't afford the likely-over-inflated rent at Christchurch Cathedral (too soon?).
In the evening at low tide we went down to the beach and dug our little "hot tub". It was actually a little trickier than I thought because you want to be close enough to the geotherms to keep your pool warm but not so close that you get scalded, which was definitely a risk. After squishing our feet into the sand to find the best hot spot, I stepped onto one patch of beach surface and actually had to jump away because it was super hot! We moved over a few yards and dug in. It was a very intersesting experience. Hans of course was more interested in running out into the Pacific so he had fun doing that. I went out and dunked my whole body and head under so I could say that I did but it was freakin cold! Regardless it was all a lot of fun but we were glad that it was a short walk to the beach house at the end of the night.
View from the living room last night
Walking along the beach last night
Views this morning
Egg scramble, local bacon, and gold kiwifruit
Looking through the archway at Cathedral Cove
Hans found the tiniest, bluest spiral shell piece
Flowering manuka that provides the famous honey
Crazy flower in the garden
NZ Monopoly pieces: Yute, sandals, sheep, surfboard, dog, airplane, and jar of Marmite
Doing laundry like the locals do
No comments:
Post a Comment