New Zealand on a Very Tight Budget Day 30

We drove a little way up the coast to Hahei a very upmarket beach resort on the beautiful east coast of the Coromandel Peninsular and we are camped at a very upmarket (and expensive) campsite with a beach front pitch. We spent much of the day in the water, firstly on the beautiful island dotted bay next to the camp site, and then as low tide approached driving a few Kilometres back south to Hot Water Bay.
Now we were a bit unenthused by the photographs of hoards of people crammed together but the truth is it was a great deal of fun.
Two hours either side of low tide hot springs flood a narrow area of the wet sands and people hire spades from the cafe and go down and dig themselves pools and loll about in the hot water. some of the water was VERY hot - almost too hot to walk through let alone sit in as one child found to his and his parents cost! We dug an expansive pool in a not so hot part of the beach and had a great time chatting with our neighbours of all nationalities - some had even brought champagne with them. Now and again a big wave would come and wash away a lot of the hard work with cold sea water and everyone started digging again. This is the third hot water beach we have seen on NZ but the first we've been too, glad we didn't miss it. It's a beautiful evening here, low sun, soft warm breeze, chirping cicadas tolling Bell Birds, tuneful Tuis. this time next week we will be nearly home!