Pauanui - Introduction to the Coromandel and the Bach | New Zealand

Pauanui - 28 December 2012 / 1 January 2013

From the moment I set foot in New Zealand I was hooked. The weather was gorgeous, the sky seemed so much bigger and people were so helpful. I was far far away from London, and already so happy despite my cankles from the 24 hours travelling. I still had another four hours travelling to get to my final destination, Pauanui, and was advised to hang out in a nearby mall until my bus came. I had also forgotten sunglasses, handy for 30 degree sunshine. Grabbed some sushi and chatted to some of the locals, who loved my Scottish accent!

Luckily I had bought my bus tickets before I arrived, as it was packed out. The Coromandel is a popular place in the summer months! It was incredibly cheap too. We stopped off at Thames, named after the river in London by Cook, and changed to another bus. This then wound up through the Coromandel and I was met with spectacular views of valleys with lush green rainforests. Started to feel a bit sick but thankfully my final destination was next, and I met my friend Linda and her boyfriend Ben off the bus at Hikuai.

We went straight to the beach at Pauanui, the town we would be based in for the next week. I put my feet straight into the Pacific Ocean, and it felt wonderful! Pauanui is known as the playground for rich Aucklanders, and some of the houses clearly showed this. The whole town was lovely, and had nice walks along the coast.

I then got my first introduction to the bach, which is the holiday home/beach house in New Zealand. This is a place where all the family comes together during summer. There are hundreds, and I'm not exaggerating, of beds everywhere. People come and go all the time, and there is always someone around. I can imagine what growing up there would have been like, and feel like I have somehow missed out. The bach we were staying in was bought back in the 70s and still had elements of that era around, which added to the charm of the building. It belonged to Ben's grandparents, and most of his family were around. It also had the most wonderful view out to the estuary of Pauanui, and this is where we sat drinking cider whilst watching the sunset. I was then treated to a real New Zealand welcome with Roast Lamb, followed by Hokey Pokey ice cream. After a few more ciders, I lasted till about 8pm and conked out. The jet lag had set in.

The next couple of days were spent adjusting to the new timezone and catching up with my friends. On New Years Eve the weather was glorious and we decided to take the family boat out to a place called Boat Harbour. I even managed to take a turn driving the boat, but had to pass it back over in order to reach our destination quicker. It was quite exhilarating being out on the open sea and crashing into the waves.

We spent the time fishing, snorkeling and sunbathing on the beach, which can only be accessed easily via boat, hence the name. Ben used to camp there with his cousins when they were younger, and it like so many beaches on the North Island, was covered in pohutukawa trees. These trees are like Christmas trees in New Zealand, as they only bloom their vibrant red flowers during the festive season. I fell in love, and was fascinated with the contrast between the clear blue waters, the sandy beaches and then the brilliant reds from the trees.

New Years Eve was perhaps the best one I have had yet. We went to a large house party where I felt like I was accepted as one of the family. We spent the night with tons of jelly shots, pineapple chunks soaked in alcohol and funnels. The fireworks hit when the bells came around, and I phoned home. My own parents were only setting up for their own New Years party and I wished them luck. It was strange to think I was only with them a few days ago, and was now half way across the world.

We spent the next day on the beach, and had a family dinner at night. I was settling into kiwi life nicely and was so glad I made the effort to get out there.