A Week in the Coromandel: Part Two (Jan. 24-31)

Probably the most memorable part of this week, aside from the views and unspoiled scenery of the Coromandel, is the people that populate Tony’s little corner of the world, Waitaia Community. On the property which spans parts of three valleys, Tony has his house, a structure down his driveway that a guy Phil and his Belgian girlfriend Katrine live in, a currently unused caravan (that we painted) next to Phil’s, a caravan on top of the hill above Tony’s that Claudia from Germany lives in during the summer, a small building (shaped like an upside-down U) that a woman, Leigh, lives in, and somewhat permanent camping sites that Tony’s cousins use in the summertime. Tony’s friend Mikalee, who works as a grip in film shoots in NZ, also stops by from time to time, staying in his van, but he plans to build a permanent house on the property in the near future.

Claudia's caravan on top of the mountain

Claudia, originally from Germany, used to be an actress until she decided to take up work as a professional golf instructor but hasn’t really worked at any job for several years now. She now divides her time between New Zealand and Switzerland. While living here, she stays in a caravan on top of Tony’s mountain but also has a coverted garage in town that she can live in (but her father is staying there now). She is really lovely and interesting, and it’s pretty cool that she makes this lifestyle work. We also really liked Mikalee, who was a really great and mellow guy (unfortunately doesn’t dig getting his picture taken) who made us dinner the one night and taught us how to play Sh*thead. Good game.

Becky and Claudia on our last morning in Coromandel

Just about all of the above people, and a few more, were at Tony’s the other night. It was an eclectic group, to say the least. Much wine was drunk, and everyone seemed to be in high spirits. It was a good time, but then again you’d expect the alternative lifestylers to be fun, eh?

Overall, I think we’ve had a good experience at Tony’s, as the work hasn’t been too bad, the food and accommodations quite nice, and the outdoor opportunities fantastic. We’ve been to so many nice beaches and done a few nice hikes while we’ve been here, so that’s been quite a boon. It’s hard to complain, but it has been awkward interacting with Tony for the most part, however. Sometimes it seemed like we were getting along quite well, and then it would just go a bit distant. I’m not sure what it is, but we haven’t gotten the instant sense of warmth from Tony that we did with our CouchSurfing hosts over the past few weeks. It might be that he’s a bit aloof, or because he doesn’t seem to like most American things, because we don’t have tons of practical farming skills, or that we’re not “cruisey” enough, as he might put it, but it’s seemed slightly strained at times. In any event, we have had free room and board and we did enjoy the good views, food, and beaches for the week, which was quite nice. Perhaps you’re just not destined to really get on with everyone, but we tried, so we can’t regret any of it.

Andrew cooling off in Tony's homemade pool after a hard day's work

In sum, this was a good week. After the non-stop travel of the past few weeks, it was great to recharge for a week at one place and gear up for some more traveling. I don’t think we’ve ever been so excited to be able to put down our toothbrush in the same place for a whole week! The stop also allowed us to meet some interesting people and catch the Coromandel from a local perspective. It’s not everyday that you meet such an eclectic bunch who are doing their own thing away from the city, working as little as possible but still managing to stay quite busy. As always, interesting times…

The cruisey view from Tony's house