Last time we were here it was chucking it down with rain and we didn’t even attempt going beyond the car park at Cathedral Cove. Since then we’ve seen photos and articles and felt cheated that we missed out. But today, 15 years later, the skies are clear and Cathedral Cove gave us a second chance, and it won us over, completely…it’s gorgeous!
It was a breathtaking 1 hour walk along the coast trail stopping off along the way to enjoy Stingray Bay.
After taking the obligatory photos at Cathedral Cove we went for a swim and as we dried off, wished we’d packed a picnic so that we could have spent the day on this stunning beach. However, we were badly sunburned from yesterday and given the lack of shade at Cathedral it’s probably a good thing that we didn’t linger too long.
Mid-afternoon we took another scenic drive down to the beach town of Whangamata where Whenuakura Island sits just off shore. Whenuakura, otherwise known as Donut Island is a local’s secret which is becoming more widely known due to its’ Instagram worthy emerald green lagoon.
We were able to rent kayaks from a local hostel for a few hours, so off we went, adventuring.
The water was flat calm and the tide was starting to come in so it was a relatively effortless paddle out to the island. We were easily able to find the narrow gap in the rocks which took us through a 40ft high cave to the center of the island and its emerald green lagoon. It was like being in another world and we felt very privileged to enjoy such a serene and special place. The photos we took don’t do it justice.
