Stopped on route to Hot Water Beach and cooked breakfast on a gorgeous beach at Kuatuno. Just love the beaches here; golden sandy stretches along the Pacific coast, mostly lined by grass verges, easy to park up and picnic and there are so many bays and coves that none seem crowded.

Once at Hot Water Beach we did what had to be done and donning a spade we headed down to the beach prior to low tide to dig for hot springs. It is the only beach in New Zealand where you can do this and we take back all we said about the beaches being quiet as it turned out to be complete mayhem as everyone vied for a spot. Tom rose to the challenge and dug for England but alas only managed a tepid pool so ever crafty he nicked someone else's thermal pool and we managed a spa on the beach albeit under false pretences!! Those that really hit the thermals literally ended up with steaming hot pools too hot to even dip toes in! …an amazing phenomenon.