Mount Maunganui

A jam packed day of hiking, surfing, shopping and swimming! We spent it over on the white sand coastline of the east (the west is a darker volcanic sand). Mt Maunganui town was our first port of call and not for the first time, we were again amazed at how and why so many people describe New Zealand as being 'like the U.K' - (see photo below)

After a look through a few surf shops, we decided to hike up the famous 'mount'. As luck would have it, just as we were feeling a bit peckish, we came across a stall offering free hotdogs! Perfect. Just the sustance we needed before embarking on a hike. It seemed pretty tough due to the heat, but didn't take too long to reach the top, where the views of the surrounding bays and islands made the bit of sweating worthwhile. We saw some cool birds along the way; including Guls with red legs and a black bird with a white 'bow tie' that sounded electronic! 

Once back down by the beach, we stripped off and went for a cooling dip in the invitingly coloured turquoise waters, before being entertained by an open air circus act!

From the beach, we walked straight into town and after comparing a few choices, I bought a surf board! And a bag, leash, some wax and a sun hat. Now fully kitted out for the rest of the trip, I went in for a quick surf to christen the (as yet unnamed) board.