Epsom address to Hot Water Beach private car — Jing's business trip

The Mercedes hummed, almost a purr, as I pulled up to the Epsom address. It was a crisp morning, late February, the kind where the air still held a hint of coolness before the Auckland sun really got going. I’d been briefed on this one: a solo passenger, heading down to Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula, business travel. Not your usual beach holiday vibe, given the purpose.

The front door opened, and out stepped a small woman, carrying a smart, compact briefcase and a weekend bag. She introduced herself as Jing L. She had a focused look about her, the kind you see on people who are used to getting things done. There was a precise way she moved as she settled into the back seat, placing her bags carefully and strapping herself in.

We didn’t have the usual small talk of a holiday maker. Jing was quiet, observing the passing streets of Epsom, then the gradual shift to the bustling arterial routes heading south. As we cleared the city limits and picked up speed on the Southern Motorway, she finally spoke, her English clear but with a slight carefulness to it. She mentioned she’d been working on a significant project in Auckland for the past few weeks, a new technology venture, and this trip was to finalize some arrangements at a manufacturing facility in the Coromandel, not far from Whitianga. Not exactly sunbathing and sandcastles, then.

Our route took us through the familiar stretch of the Waikato countryside, past the dairy farms and grazing paddocks. I’d always found this part of the journey quite pleasant, especially in late summer when everything was still vibrantly green. We stopped for a quick coffee and a stretch at the BP Connect in Pokeno. Jing opted for a green tea, which she drank slowly, still surveying the landscape as if cataloguing it. She told me a little more about her company, a firm involved in advanced materials, and how they were looking at expanding their production capabilities here in New Zealand. It sounded complex, a different world from the simple act of driving someone from A to B, but fascinating nonetheless. I mostly listened, offering the occasional nod or a comment about the changing scenery.

As we turned off the main highway and headed east towards the Coromandel, the roads became narrower and more winding. The air started to carry a faint salty tang, a preview of the coast. She’d mentioned during our coffee break that her flight back to Shanghai was scheduled for the following evening, so this was a tight turnaround. The drive to the Coromandel Peninsula itself can be deceptively long, and the winding roads through the hills certainly added to the time. I’d driven this route countless times, but I was still mindful of the time, keen to get her to her destination without feeling rushed. We passed through Thames, then onto State Highway 25, the views opening up dramatically as we crossed the peninsula towards the eastern coast.

Arrival at Hot Water Beach was uneventful, in the best possible way. The property was a modern bach, looking out towards the water, though the tide was out at the moment. Jing L. thanked me and explained that meetings were scheduled for the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening. It wasn't the typical arrival I envisioned for a place called Hot Water Beach – no swimsuits or towels in sight. Just a focused professional heading into work, albeit in a rather beautiful part of the country. As she gathered her things, she offered a small, genuine smile. "Thank you for the comfortable journey," she said. I watched her walk up the drive, a solitary figure against the vast expanse of the sea and sky, a reminder of how many different reasons people have for travelling between the cities and coastlines of this country. My job was simply to facilitate that journey, point to point. The drive back to Auckland under a sky turning soft shades of pink and orange was quiet, filled only with the reliable hum of the engine and the low country music on the radio.