Mount Maunganui + Hot Pools

One of the first things I did yesterday was my laundry. Really good washing machines are very rare in New Zealand, so each one has to be used to its full potential. Plus, a lot has accumulated in 8 weeks.

After a relaxing brunch, Chiara and I went to Mount Maunganui, the neighborhood with the beach and mountain.
It was cloudy, but still quite warm, so we decided to skip the mountain and go straight to the beach. There we discovered these beautiful stones in the surf and couldn't resist taking a few staged photos.
But then we went into the water, my first swim in a New Zealand sea. First impression: salty.
After all, I'm only used to our cozy Baltic Sea and then being thrown into, attention pun, cold water...
The waves were huge and we had a lot of fun. Strangely, we were the only people in the water, which at least surprised and worried me a little. But we weren't nibbled on by any sharks, etc.
We did see a penguin though!
....
But it was dead.
My first penguin in New Zealand and it's dead???
There were also a few seabirds nesting on the beach. And because they shouldn't be disturbed, a zone was cordoned off around the nest. We thought it was cute. The birds still looked grumpy though.

After swimming in the sea, we retreated to the Hot Pools, right at the Mount. The Hot Pools are supplied with water from a natural hot spring and mixed with seawater. The temperature is regulated through various filters and pipes: there are 2 pools with 40 degrees, one with body temperature, and a cold pool.
We managed to get a reduced admission, otherwise it would have been quite expensive. But after two hours, my skin was so swollen from all the bathing that I had to stop.
Back at the Community Wharf, it was time for thorough sunscreen and hair care after scrubbing off all the salt from the skin. I enjoyed the day, but my skin probably didn't. Especially since I got a massive sunburn at the beach. It was cloudy, but the salt crystals on the skin were enough to burn my skin with the few rays of sun.
Great.