North Island, NZ | Day 1: Cathedral Cove, Hot Water Beach & Tauranga

Today was all about coastal vibes and tasty eats—here’s how it went! 😊 🌊 Cathedral Cove Heads up if you’re planning to go: don’t follow Google Maps directly ! 🚫 Instead, navigate to *Cathedral Cove Park and Ride & Hahei Visitor Carpark*—then take the shuttle bus to the trailhead. I skipped this step and wasted 2 hours driving around aimlessly (total fail! 🫠). Once you get to the start, it’s a 40-minute hike to the cove—easy, but wear comfy shoes! The sea-eroded arch and turquoise water are worth the walk, though—so pretty! 📸 🌡️ Hot Water Beach Fair warning: This spot is *not super tourist-friendly* if you’re unprepared! To dig your own hot pool in the sand, you *need an iron shovel*—we didn’t bring one, so we just watched a buff guy 💪 with a shovel dig 7+ holes… and still no hot spring water! Oops. If you love a DIY adventure, bring gear—otherwise, it’s just a regular beach day. 🍜 Tauranga Food Spree After the coast, we headed straight to Tauranga for eats—and it did NOT disappoint! - Rice Rice Baby**: Their *Waterfall Chicken* is a must-try! 🐔 It tastes like it’s cooked in a Shandong-style way—first braised, then fried—so juicy and flavorful. We also got the Chicken Pho, which was hearty and comforting. - Polar Ice Cream**: We ordered the famous *Real Fruit Ice Cream*—they blend fresh strawberries right into the ice cream, and it smells (and tastes!) so fresh—way better than artificial strawberry flavor! 🍓 We also tried the *Cold Plate*—it’s like the NZ version of “stir-fried yogurt” from back home, creamy and delicious. Today had its little hiccups (thanks, bad navigation!), but the food and coastal views made it all worth it. Tauranga’s food scene never lets me down! ✨ #TaurangaFood #NewZealandTravel #CathedralCove #HotWaterBeach #NZCoastalTrip