We woke up for low tide and down at the beach, shovels in hand, searched for a spot to dig. There were already many people at Hot Water Beach that had their holes dug and were enjoying the warm pools. We squeezed in between a few and found that the water and sand there was super hot, almost unbearable to sit in. It was fun sitting and watching other people and kids around us. We went and washed the sand off in the water then went to our beach towels and listened to music while we laid in the warm sun. After a bit we walked back to the holiday park.
We made wraps for lunch and hung out at the car before driving down to Hahei. Cassela wanted to try her hand at driving on the left side of the road. She did well and I trust her driving since we worked and drove together all summer a few years ago. We miraculously found parking in the Cathedral Cove carpark and walked for 40 minutes along the scenic and tropical path before coming to the beach. There were hoards of people there but still beautiful as ever. We were able to walk through the cove and to the other side close to the rock, unlike last time I was there. This time, I got a different view of the rock and it was much thinner than I realized. We hung out and took pictures for a bit before heading back to the other side. We climbed up on the rock ledge, like I did before, and then undressed to go into the water. It was a bit chilly so we weren't in for long.
Michealla drove back to the campground and just like Cassela, would mistake the windshield wiper lever for the turn signal lever. I was amused and felt relaxed in the backseat, not having to worrying about driving and navigating. Back at the park, we changed and headed for Whitianga. A half hour later, we found a Thai/Indian place. The pad thai, curry, and stir fry we ordered was unbelievable. We went to Countdown and bought groceries for cooking Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals. Back at the holiday park, we hung out in the communal area and enjoyed a one man concert on the patio. He was super good and played a lot of great songs. We played on the swings nearby and wrote in our journals while we listened. After awhile, we headed off to bed.
