Next we took a drive to the Coromandel Peninsula, about 3 hours out of Auckland. The scenery is typical of the Waikato region, rolling farmland with rainforested hills and gorges.

Our destination for the afternoon was Hot Water Beach.

It’s where groundwater heated by all the geothermal action is exposed on the beach. The only tricky thing is that it’s only at one place on the beach that is best accessed at low tide. We got there a bit too late for a hot bath, but it didn’t stop the boys from trying.

I was more entranced by the twilight. It was magical.