One of the hottest spots to visit in New Zealand is Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel. We've been to different parts of the Coromandel before, but we have never ventured out to the famous spot. We finally made it happen! It was about a 3 hour drive from our home so we left bright and early at 6am. Getting ready for our Saturday adventures is no small feat. We have to pack the car the night before, load the kayaks on the roof rack, gather all swimming gear and life jackets, pack our food for the day, and entertainment for the car. And the cleanup is always a beast! It's a lot of work but always so worth it.
We hit up a small market on the way and bought cheap sunglasses for the family. We all love markets! We decided to forgo the crowded spot of Cathedral Cove and start from Hahei Beach and kayak over to our destination. It was a great choice because there were no crowds and we were able to launch our kayaks from there. However, it wasn't the easiest access to the beach. We parked close but there was a small hill between us and the beach that we had to manuever the kayaks over. Taking the stairs seemed too tricky with the large and heavy load so we placed the kayaks on the hill and pushed them down. It worked well! But, coming back, it was a beast to push them back up the hill!! We got a major workout and provided a great show for onlookers =)
Once we had our kayaks ready and loaded with the essentials for the day and down by the ocean, we boarded our boats and launched. Ethan, Reese, and I had no problems getting over the small waves at the shore and out to the water. Unfortunately, Cody's kayak got a rough start and they all tipped over! We were watching from a distance totally helpless and concerned and laughing a little ;) Once they gathered all the things that fell out and got readjusted, they met us out in the open water for our journey. We kayaked along the coast towards Cathedral Cove. We stopped just before our final destination and had a picnic lunch in a gorgeous blue/green cove. It was sunny, but definitely not warm. The kids were freezing whenever the sun hid behind the clouds. There were some huge crabs hiding under rocks that we had fun poking at and trying to lure out. After we were finished exploring that cove, we boarded again and headed onward.
Cathedral Cove had beautiful turquoise water! We pulled our kayaks up to the shore and docked them. Then we walked through the famous cave and did some fun jumping shots. The water was so clear so we doned our snorkelling gear and floated through the water trying to spy some fish. We only saw a few swimming around but still had a fun time. After we got our Cathedral Cove fix, we continued our journey back. Along the way, Cody braved the cold deep water and snorkelled on a snorkelling course. He got to see tons of fish as we floated in our kayaks above him.
After we heaved our kayaks back up the hill and cleaned everything up, Cody wanted to play with his drone and get some good shots. The kids relaxed and played in the sand while Cody worked. We hit up a Fish & Chips place on the way home and filled our bellies with goodness. It was a great day!
