This was our base....the Pacific Harbour Resort.
The chalet was very cosy,,,,,,,,,,and very hot as the weather was glorious!
This view and the one below were less than a minute's walk from our chalet
This is Mount Paku.
I had hoped that the pohutakawe trees would still be full of blossoms--they are known as New Zealand christmas trees-- but sadly, this was the best I could find.
A Day at Hot Water Beach
This seems like a perfectly normal beach.
Here it is in the morning....
.....and here is the afternoon view.
What happens is that,at certain times of the tide, people arrive with their spades and dig holes in certain places, which fill with very hot water in which they sit and relax.
The temperature this day was 26 degrees!! So hot the sand burnt our feet!
So we just found a lovely shady spot to chat and read and watch everyone else get hot and sweaty. Perfect!!! This was a fantastic day in wonderful company.
Me and my son-in-law in a beautiful shelter under the trees facing the sea.
Also during our time away we visited Whitianga, where we took a ferry across to Ferry Landing.
This must be the smallest public library in the world!
It's smaller than our dining-room.
Ferry Landing is home to a peaceful beach, Flaxmill Beach, where we sat and relaxed in the sunshine for a while.
Our last day was, thankfully, a bit overcast and cooler, so we went to Whangamata and looked round some delightful shops.
We tried the beach but it was a wee bit too cool for sitting around!
So back to the chalet we drove for a delicious tea and an exciting game of Scrabble, which I lost.......Big Time!!
All too soon, it was time to return to Auckland (and to work for Greg).
These have been a special few days together.
