Oct 24th – This morning began a bit slower than normal since last night was a late night at the Auyeungs’ home. What a lovely dinner – a bounty of seafood and veggies all beautifully presented with chocolate ice cream and strawberries for dessert. Over dinner we met their two university-aged kids (Trevor and Stephanie) both of whom added to the great conversation throughout the evening.

Our drive today took us up the peninsula south of Auckland to Coromandel. The area is steep and hilly, mostly covered in temperate rain forest. The road winds its way along the coast with many hairpin-like turns. After a bowl of soup at a local cafe we took a train ride on a narrow-gauge railway about 3 km up a mountain. The view of the bay from the top was stunning.

We stopped in the little town of Thames for dinner and then took the Pacific Coastal Drive back to Auckland.