{"id":11821,"date":"2012-11-19T13:29:49","date_gmt":"2012-11-19T13:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/?p=11821"},"modified":"2012-11-16T17:35:39","modified_gmt":"2012-11-16T17:35:39","slug":"the-firth-of-thames-and-orere-point-new-zealand-day-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/2012\/11\/the-firth-of-thames-and-orere-point-new-zealand-day-21\/","title":{"rendered":"The Firth of Thames and Orere Point – New Zealand Day 21"},"content":{"rendered":"

With our holiday coming towards its end, we had a late(ish) start to the day with breakfast in the camper van at Opal Springs Campsite before driving to Matamata for a Countdown supermarket to buy some final supplies and presents for everyone. Whittakers chocolate, Cookie Time Cookies and Pineapple lumps all round – Mmm Mmm! We then drove north to Miranda to check out a likely campsite for our final night in New Zealand.<\/p>\n

\"Our<\/a>

Our Route, Day 21<\/p><\/div>\n

The Miranda campsite was nice but we decided to head further North along the Firth of Thames so that we were closer to Auckland and would have less of a drive tomorrow morning. We stopped for elevenses of hot muffins and coffee at a native plants garden centre. The cakes and coffee were nice but there wasn’t really that much of a garden centre to go with it.<\/p>\n

Kaiaua<\/h1>\n

We then stopped on the beach and freedom campsite at Kaiaua. This was a gorgeous white sandy beach with sand formed from sea-shells. The beach stretched either way into the distance and was lapped by the blue waters of the Firth of Thames. The mountains of the Coramandel Peninsula formed a horizon on the far side of the water. The whole area along here had a very Hebridean feel to us. It seems to be a bit of a forgotten coastline, off the tourist trail and not mentioned in many guidebooks but it was just the way we like our coast and\u00a0countryside, quiet relaxed and a little bit wild. We were glad we had decided to come this way.<\/p>\n

Any other night the freedom campsite would have suited our needs as we were completely self-contained in the camper and didn’t need an electric hook-up or too many facilties. However, as this was our last night in the camper we did need a dump station so that we could empty the grey water tank before returning it to Jucy. So, after a little chill on the idyllic beach we headed further north to Orere Point where there was a Top10 campsite.<\/p>\n

\"Tranquility\"<\/a>

Tranquility<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Chilling<\/a>

Chilling at Kaiaua<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t