Relaxation day of a sort. We did some laundry in the morning and then drove to Mount Maunganui and hiked up to the top. I felt somewhat humbled slogging my way to the top and having several Kiwis of a wide range of ages jogging by me as if they were running on the flat! It is pretty tough going up some of that hill and they weren't even breathing heavily. Jos, you will be pleased to know we had the Tauranga women striders run past us as we were approaching the hill, all wearing their bright blue t-shirts. (Maybe I shouldn't say it but they sounded every bit as loud as the Salmon Arm striders as they went past.) For me, one of the highlights was walking through the bush on several parts of the climb and being serenaded by the Tui birds - better than listening to an orchestra playing a symphony! We were going to go to the hot seawater pools but got sidetracked by lunch. When we got back to the campsite, Jean and I booked a half hour in the spa and had a relaxing time in the warm mineral water. Tauranga is a seaport on the Bay of Plenty and in 1864 was the site of a major battle between the British and the Maori during what was known as the New Zealand Wars. The Ngaiterangi inflicted heavy damages on the British forces here. Mount Maunganui also a retirement/holiday site. There is a beautiful campground right at the base of the mountain along with several high rises. The port of Tauranga looks very busy with several ships in moorage outside the Harbour. It is a perfect enclosed harbour and it is easy to see why it was chosen to be a shipping port. We will move on tomorrow heading up the Coramandel peninsula. Looking forward to that as it is such a scenic and beautiful area.