Coromandel

My vacation is winding down and so am I. I took it a great deal easier today, driving up to a very cool area called cathedral cove.  After a 45 minute walk I was rewarded with some stunning views of a limestone cliff that has been battered so there is a big hole through it in the shape of a cathedral. The cove also has a stunning beach and supposedly good snorkeling, but the water is cold and the surf and current were pounding. I walked back and stopped by this funky little winery that focuses on feijoa and citrus wine and booze. The owner was such an incredibly cool and funny guy, and he liquored me up really good then took my order for a pizza. I see his plan, quality over quantity. A pizza and a bottle of lemon gin set me back 75$ but I left with a smile on my face. 
He gave me the crazy idea to see if I can get feijoas to grow in Florida as they are cold resistant and love the heat and spit out fruit like mad.  Apparently they grow well in California.  It would be nice to have fruit trees in our area, and the flowers are a really beautiful starburst of red.
The drive up and down the coromandel peninsula is quite trying, with squiggly roads following the coast, however the views are nice. I visited coromandel town that didn't have anything I was interested in other than a smoked seafood shop.  I bought smoked mussels, smoked kingfish and some other local smoked fish.  I left and discovered where all those green lipped mussels come from.  There are huge aquaculture setups off the coromandel coast for at least 10 km.  Wow!
I had intended for the earlier parts of my trip to be intense, so now I'm willing to wind it down a bit. Rather than chug all the way to Thames I turned off at Tapu and am staying at a lovely clean campground next to a clear river.  Very relaxing. I am also the only non-permanent guest in the park and was invited to dinner by the camp owners at their house.  I prepared a bunch of boiled potatoes and carrots as an offering, and I'm going to give them the eggs and onions I know I won't eat before I drop the car off Saturday afternoon.
I am also going to run out of this funny kiwi cash exactly on schedule, making this an amazingly inexpensive holiday.  I converted 1500 USD to 1850 NZD and spent 600usd on the camper rental. And the cash covered all my dinners in Auckland while working!  I have had such an amazing time on the North Island that I am already planning 3 weeks on the south island in my future.  Does anybody want to go with?
So I just had dinner with Yannick and Rachel and they really were super nice to me and made me feel at home.  Yannick offered to take me mussel gathering and I am loathe to say no. Well low tide is at 5pm and I may actually come back here after a bit of exploring tomorrow. Otherwise, Rachel's mom runs a camper park next to the airport.  It is really nice to meet good people, and as usual the regret is lack of time. 
I am only an hour and a half from Auckland so we will see where the winds blow me tomorrow.  Rachel suggested a cool nature walk and then I can get a Thai lunch at Thames .  who knows, as long as I am having fun!