Grand Mercure Auckland to Hot Water Beach private car — Eleanor's holiday

The flat grey sky over Auckland Harbour was a familiar sight, but today felt different. The Grand Mercure, a solid, imposing building, always felt like the start of something – a business trip, an adventure, a return home. This morning, my passenger, Eleanor S, was embarking on the latter, though not a return home in the usual sense. She was from the United Kingdom, here for a holiday of the scenic variety.

She had booked me for a run out to Hot Water Beach, a good day’s drive, and I always liked these kinds of trips. Not just point-to-point, but a journey with a destination steeped in natural wonder. Eleanor had the kind of quiet enthusiasm that made her easy company. She shared with me that she had always wanted to see the Coromandel Peninsula, and Hot Water Beach was high on her list of must-sees. She’d read about the geothermal springs bubbling up beneath the sand, creating natural hot pools at low tide. It sounded magical, and she was eager to experience it.

We left the city behind, the familiar Auckland grid giving way to the motorway. The traffic thinned as we headed south, the landscape beginning to unfurl. We passed through the Bombay Hills, their gentle slopes covered in bush, a welcome green after the urban sprawl. Then came Pokeno, a popular stop for its ice cream, though many people just drive through. Eleanor, however, wanted to see the countryside, so I made sure to point out the rolling paddocks, the sleepy farmhouses, and the occasional herd of cattle. She found the rural New Zealand scenery quite charming, a world away from what she knew back home.

As we continued east towards the Coromandel turn-off, the landscape shifted. We took State Highway 2, heading towards the coast. I pointed out the winding rivers and the distant hills, explaining how this region was known for its dairy farming. Eleanor had a keen eye for detail, noticing the different types of trees and the way the light played on the water. She told me about her life in the UK, about the bustling city she lived in and how she craved these moments of quiet and natural beauty. New Zealand, with its wide-open spaces and relatively untouched landscapes, was exactly what she needed.

We turned off the main highway and headed north, the road narrowing and winding as we climbed into the Coromandel Ranges. The air grew fresher, scented with pine and damp earth. The lush native bush pressed in on either side, ferns and mosses clinging to ancient trees. This was the part of the drive that always excited me – the wilder, more untamed side of the North Island. Eleanor was captivated, her nose practically glued to the window, taking it all in. She mentioned how different the vegetation was from the UK, the sheer abundance of green and the scale of the trees.

Finally, after traversing the winding roads, we began to descend towards the coast. The first glimpse of the turquoise sea was always a treat, a burst of blue against the green hills. We pulled into the small carpark at Hot Water Beach, the sound of the waves a constant, soothing presence. The tide was starting to go out, revealing more of the sand and the distinctive rocky outcrops.

Eleanor couldn’t wait. She grabbed her towel and a small spade she’d brought along, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. She explained to me that the timing was crucial to get the best experience; she’d checked the tide times meticulously. She headed down to the water’s edge, finding a spot where the sand looked promising. I watched from a distance as she started to dig. At first, it was just a hole in the damp sand. But then, as she dug deeper, she encountered it – the warmth. Steam rose gently from the sand, and soon, a pool of water began to form, heated by the earth beneath. She carefully tested the temperature, a look of pure delight on her face. She showed me how she was using the cooler ocean water to mix with the hot spring water to make it just right for sitting in. She sat down, a serene smile spreading across her face, surrounded by the vast ocean and the warm embrace of the earth. It was a perfect moment of connection with nature.

I let her enjoy her time there. It’s a special place, and seeing someone experience it for the first time, especially with such genuine joy, is one of the best parts of my job. She spent a good hour there, shifting her position as the tide continued to recede, adjusting her little pool. The sun, which had been hiding for most of the journey, even made a brief appearance, casting a golden glow over the beach and the water.

When she finally returned to the car, her skin flushed and her eyes bright, she was full of stories about the experience. She described the feeling of the warm water against her skin, the contrast with the cool sea breeze, and the sheer novelty of it all. She said it was even better than she had imagined, a truly unique and unforgettable experience. She was particularly fascinated by the geothermal activity, a force of nature she could feel and interact with directly. It was, she told me, the highlight of her New Zealand adventure.

Our drive back to Auckland was quieter. The sun had set, and the darkness had enveloped the landscape. Eleanor seemed content, her holiday well and truly enriched by her time on the Coromandel coast. As we re-entered the city, the lights twinkling in the distance, I dropped her back at her hotel. She thanked me again, her gratitude sincere. It had been a good day. A day of winding roads, stunning scenery, and the quiet magic of Hot Water Beach, shared with a traveller who truly appreciated it.