7
8
EST
1992
See all the highlights in one hour
on this Kiwi favourite Cathedral Cove boat tour.
Departs Hahei Beach, 10 minutes from Hot Water Beach.
Phone
07 866 3910
•
EST
1992
CATHEDRAL COVE TOUR
Hahei, Coromandel Peninsula
THE ORIGINAL
HAHEI EXPLORER
Going to Shakespeare’s Cliff.
This painting continues directly on from ‘On the way to Flaxmill Bay’ as the next
step in the story. I kept stopping and staring out to sea, absorbing the colours
and sounds, inhaling deeply to focus on “the moment”.
The Pohutukawas were in full bloom, their splashes of red flower bright
against the sky, and I explored every little pathway. This particular path really
appealed to me, with Shakespeare’s Cliff proudly looming across the Bay, the
Pohutukawa to the left creating a
shaded entrance; and I couldn’t see
what was around the curve, hidden by
the burst of foliage and flax. So here I
am, disappearing from view, discovering
what lies around the corner.
Shakespeare’s Cliff Lookout.
Everyone had told me it was worth it.
But once I was up there, I started to realise that they hadn’t used nearly enough
hyperbole, because the climb up Shakespeare’s Cliff to the viewing platform is
really worth it. I leaned on the smooth wooden barrier for ages, watching the
clouds move across the sky, watching the colour of the sea change, and the light
patterns shift across the undulating panoramic landscape. I watched darker clouds
form and the foaming trail of boats cut across the water, slicing through the
blue/green/grey with a dash of white.
I was particularly captivated by a patch of brightest azure sky that shone
through gaps in the cloud cover, full of promise. Groups of people came and went,
took photos and ooh-ed and aah-ed, and when I eventually started the walk back
down the hill I was lost in dreams of voyages and adventures across the ocean.
On the Way to Flaxmill Bay.
This scene floods me with the warmest memories. I’d only been living in
Whitianga for a few months and was on my way to an Art Escape meeting
in Flaxmill Bay. I stood at Whitianga waiting for the ferry to meander
back from across the water, and there were 3 boats lining the pier
packed with tourists, excitedly waiting to be swept off on an
adventure: whether it was a cave cruise or gazing at the sea life
through a glass-bottomed boat, the smiles of the visitors said it all.
It dawned on me in a wave of glorious appreciation (tinged with a hint
of smugness) that I live here ! How lucky am ! ? ! I crossed on the ferry,
almost delirious with mirth that I was on my way to work, on a ferry !
I was still smiling when I reached the crest of the road and the vista
reveals itself, suddenly opening up with Shakespeare’s cliff in the
distance ! It’s still one of my favourite views: the sparkling water and the
cliff-top destination gleaming in the distance. I was still grinning from ear
to ear when I painted this picture.
