{"id":11306,"date":"2024-04-30T22:48:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T10:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/?p=11306"},"modified":"2024-05-07T23:03:43","modified_gmt":"2024-05-07T11:03:43","slug":"staying-out-of-hot-water-at-cathedral-cove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myblogary.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/30\/staying-out-of-hot-water-at-cathedral-cove\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying Out Of Hot Water At Cathedral Cove"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

April 30<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The sun poked through the clouds this morning so we grabbed our stuff and headed to the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were the only people at Cooks Beach<\/a> on this quiet Tuesday morning. James Cook landed here in 1769 and set up his instruments to observe the transit of Mercury (when the planet Mercury crosses between the Sun and the Earth.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not feeling quite as ambitious as Cook, we spread out a sheet and plopped down on the sand. We stayed for a bit, listening to the sound of the surf and enjoying the view of Cooks Bay and the Mercury Islands in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We left the beach and drove up the road to the Shakespeare Cliff lookout<\/a>. Captain Cook named it after the famous playwright as he thought he saw his profile in the rock. There were great views of Cooks Bay and the town of Whitianga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We stopped for a coffee and a spinach and cheese scone at Ferry Landing Cafe<\/a>. I\u2019m getting so many great baking ideas for when we get back home!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Perhaps our coffees energized us, made us feel brave and bold. Or maybe it had been a while since we last broke the rules and were feeling reckless. Remember our visit to the Blue Pools in Makarora when we crossed the icy river to reach the \u201cclosed\u201d tourist spot? Well I guess it was time to up our bad boy\/girl ante again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the DOC website for the Cathedral Cove<\/a> hike in Hahei, there\u2019s a red warning alert saying the trail is closed and the cove is only accessible by boat. The trail suffered damage from Cyclone Gabrielle last February and has still not reopened. Something about land instability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kiwis are a hearty rule breaking bunch who like to get visiting tourists on their side. We were assured by Mark, the owner of the Hotties<\/a> cafe at Hot Water Beach, that the track was indeed accessible and people are hiking to the cove every day, just ignore the warnings and go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Up for another adventure, we set out to see for ourselves. We drove to the carpark which had several warning signs about the track being closed. We parked in a spot with a sign that read \u201ccontractors and concessionaire parking only\u201d and headed for the trail. Broken rule #1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We were fairly certain that the Maui campervan parked in the same lot was not a contractor nor a concessionaire and hoped for safety in numbers against traffic wardens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We enjoyed a few panoramic views from the lookout and found the path down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our first obstacle appeared about three minutes into our walk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A chain link fence ran perpendicular to the path with several warning signs on it that the track was closed. Not seeing a way around it, we turned back to the car. Just as we were walking away a couple appeared from the forbidden side. Hmmm. They must know the way, we thought. We approached them and they gave us the inside info we needed to proceed with our illicit mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We walked back to the fence and lo and behold there was a narrow path alongside it with an opening to the other side. We walked down and around with no problem. Broken rule #2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There were a few more chain link fences to skirt around and some downed trees on the path that we had to climb over and limbo under, but so far it was all pretty doable. Let\u2019s call them broken rules #3 and #4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Twenty minutes later, we hit a major obstacle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There was a huge plywood padlocked blockade going across the path, about 8 feet high. We saw no way around it, but Mitch noticed a muddy foot path to the left where other hikers had clearly climbed up and over the rock. I hoisted myself up with a helpful ass boost from Mitch and got to the top of the fence, wherein I proceeded to freak out. The drop down to the other side was too steep for me. Nope. Not gonna happen. I scrambled back down, defeated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not one to be put off by heights or dangerous drops, Mitch went up and over the fence with no trouble and safely landed on the other side. \u201cTake lots of pictures!\u201d I shouted, as he forged ahead to the famous cove, leaving me phoneless (I left my phone in the car) and abandoned on the chicken side of the fence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I made it!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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I paced back and forth as I waited, irritated with my cowardliness. My FOMO was getting the better of me. I tried to go around the right side of the fenced wall, but it looked even more dangerous than the climb over with a straight drop down into a crevasse. I saw myself slipping and falling and being rescued by firefighters forced to hoist me out of the bush and subsequently rat me out to the DOC. I couldn\u2019t and wouldn\u2019t be THAT American tourist who ruined this opportunity for future adventurers. I would have to settle for the pictures if\/when Mitch returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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