After a long drive yesterday and with another long drive coming up tomorrow, we decided to have an easy, rest day today. After the obligatory sleep-in and leisurely breakfast, Linda and I walked back down to Mapua Wharf and spent a long time shopping while spectacularly failing to buy anything. The tide was in so the estuary looked fantastic. I even got a photo of Linda surrounded by birds – a very rare occurrence.

On our way back, we popped into the Mapua Bakery to get something to share for lunch. They had the perfect choice – a giant doughnut. It was so large we all had some for lunch, and for supper, and there was still some left over.

After lunch, we drove up to Kaiteriteri for a swim. The tide was almost completely out but we still enjoyed floating in the waist-deep water and, once the sun came out from behind a bank of clouds, sunning ourselves on the golden sands. An interesting phenomenon at the low tide mark was the multiple springs of saltwater emerging from the sand.

An interesting fact from one of the interpretive plaques on the Kaiteriteri waterfront: one translation of the word “kaiteriteri” is “eating a company of travellers”. We did not feel worried at all.