06.02.2014Mussels on the Coromandel Peninsula

From Lake Taupo we drove north and had a short stop at Lake Rotorua. This region is NZ’s most thermal area: home to spurting geysers, steaming hot springs and exploding mud pools. But we weren’t in the mood for mud- or thermal baths and decided to skip these sights and instead enjoyed the afternoon sun:

We headed further north and stopped along some sandy beaches:

Continuing north and turning inland the weather looked like rain. We skipped Coromandels east coast beaches and headed directly towards Coromandel Town on the western coast of the peninsula.

From time to time there were stalls along the road offering fruits, vegetables or flowers. Eventually we stopped and bought two freshly harvested avocados from this booth:

Arriving in Coromandel Town it was time for dinner and we visited the “Coromandel Mussel Kitchen“. They are famous for their fresh and tasty green lipped quality mussels which they collect, cultivate, harvest, cook and serve all on their own. The creativity of the chefs is apparent in the menu and we had no idea of all the different variations and surprising combinations that seem to be possible!
Not really being sure which mussel dish to try we decided for the mussel platter which serves different dishes of mussels with fresh salad and garlic bread:

There were smoked, marinated, grilled, buttered and fried mussels on the platter. They tasted very interesting, but both of us will not become mussel lovers in the near future…

To crunch our thirst we enjoyed a beer from the local Coromandel Brewing Company:

A short walk along the harbor helped us digest and we watched the sun set over low-tide Coromandel Harbour:

The next morning the weather hadn’t improved and we left the Coromandel peninsula. Despite the clouds and the constant threat of rain the mood was good and the scenery had a special and beautiful atmosphere:

Our way ahead led past Auckland and towards the northern tip of the North Island.