This morning it was all about the risks versus the rewards!!! After doing some exercises, we decided to risk a drive up a narrow, winding dirt road, where the edge of the precipice was on the passenger side of the car and the driver was comfortably seated next to firmer ground, just to take a hike. Really? Whose idea was that? Okay it was an agreed upon hike, but still someone needs to be the brains of the group!! The reward was we ended up in a charming town called Coromandel where we had lunch. Lunch was another risk versus a reward as we tried some new sandwiches which were so-so and then dessert – YUM!!! It was a raspberry zinger on steroids!! The risk of a new sandwich was the reward of a great dessert. (Jill — pictures of sandwiches just for you!!)
At that point we decided to limit our risk and hike in the local area instead of venturing out trying to navigate another dirt road. This reaped great rewards as we hiked up a beautiful hill which gave us sweeping views of the local area. We saw a Kauri tree that was 1200 hundred years old and was as majestic and proud as only a tree that has achieved that age can be.
Heading back, we decided after a several mile hike that we needed to wind down and relax. Dave had the perfect idea!! A beautiful mineral hot spring resort where we soaked in the hot mineral springs. We chatted with a woman from Toronto who is traveling alone and enjoying her time away from the cold and snow. She was a big NFL fan so had the latest scores of the games played earlier in the day!!
Time to wind down. We had a nice, relaxing dinner and then watched the movie “The Two Popes”, a great way to end the day.
