Mount Maunganui

Yesterday the drive between Rotorua and Mount Maunganui was 25 minutes on our maps, today it turns out it’s over an hour. Very strange. Yesterday we also had power in the campsite, however this morning we do not. Apparently a helicopter crashed into a power cable on the side of a mountain nearby in the night, so we were without power. Therefore I had a cold shower and there was a distinct lack of toast for breakfast. We made do. I also joined Amelia on a run around Blue Lake first thing. As enjoyable as a run can be, probably ate a few bugs by accident (very green, foresty route), did leave Amelia running on her own for half the route which she wasn’t entirely pleased about. At least I did some exercise. 

I was very surprised upon our arrival at Mount Maunganui. It’s like a mini Miami (having never been to Miami I am only going of what I’ve seen in films to be honest). The weather was again ridiculously good. Probably too good. Definitely too hot. We parked up at the Mount Maunganui holiday park at the base of the volcano and next to the two main beaches. It’s a bit odd (the campsite), seems like we’re in a bit where a few people live permanently and is the start of a path up the mountain so has lots of walkers passing by, but I’m sure it’ll be fine. The area of Mount Maunganui is essentially a peninsula, where a volcano sits at the end with two beaches either side and very posh looking condos along the centre. The beaches are beautiful, the typical surfer/beach ball/chilled holiday beach. We went for a walk down the beach and onto Leisure Island, which, before the 70’s, had a zoo and amusements, then converted to pools and fun things, and now simply sits as a green little peninsula jutting out from the beach which would have been amazing if it still had animals/swimming pools. Alas no more. As it was so unbelievably hot we found a shaded, stepped, grassy hill just back from the beach to lie and read our books. Very beautiful indeed. 

This evening we hiked up to the summit of Mount Maunganui to see the sunset. The walk, despite being only 200 metres in elevation, was incredibly sweaty. At the summit are pretty incredible views over the town and across the bay of islands to the west where the sun sank in a beautiful sunset just after 8:15. We managed to get the best bench on the mountain to view it and had crisps and dip with a couple of ciders. It was delightful.

I think we’ve both avoided any sunburn today, which is miraculous. Looking forward to arriving in Auckland tomorrow. Amelia’s certainly very excited to see another human being she knows other than me (don’t know whether to be insulted or not that she’s SO excited...) as Anna’s coming (her friend from school) to meet her from Sydney.