My life's to do list

Sam and I spent a couple days in Matarangi, on the north end of the Coromandel Peninsula, with a CouchSurfer named Scott.  The drive up the coast of the peninsula was beautiful, even though Sam likes to drive around curves faster than I do.  Much of the highway leading north snakes around the coast, and the places where the road turns inland are just as nice.

Thames

Sam and I arrived in Thames on Monday.  Thames is at the base of the Coromandel Peninsula, known for its history rich in gold mining.  So far, Thames is our favorite little town in New Zealand.  The little shops lining its town center are eclectic and quaint, and the conifer-coated mountains springing up around it remind me of Colorado.  Perhaps it was because of the street market today, but the whole town has a great community vibe that we both appreciate.