“… falls in himself.”
So a wellknown saying in Holland goes. We however think that it should be changed to:
“Who digs a hole for another… makes sure the other can have a hot spa!”
As we got a few more days to spend in New Zealand and didn’t want to stay in Auckland (this city just seems to attract all rain clouds from at least 200 km around, making that it seemingly rains all the time), we rented a car and headed out to the Coromandel Peninsula, a place we had been attracted to since the beginning of our trip, but which we hadn’t been able to visit due to time issues.
Coromandel is very nice, lush and green, with beautiful sea landscapes and hilly areas. We regretted a little bit being there by car, as it made us realize once more, how conscious you are when cycling: having the time to look around and really “take in” the landscape.
Besides Cathedral Cove, Hahei Beach and Coromandel village, a definite fun highlight is a place called “Hot Water Beach”. At this beach, some nearby volcanos develop huge underground reservoirs of superheated water which, over time, escapes to the surface, of course cooling on the way. This water contains large amounts of salt, calcium, magnesium, potassium, fluorine, bromine and silica, the ideal mix for a spa. The only thing to mind is the tide: Hot Water Beach can only be accessed around low tide.
So all you have to do is rent a spade and get your man to dig a nice hole for you to sit and enjoy your own personal spa.
Life is good! 
Vera & Jean-Christophe