On day 2 we made the drive from Auckland to beach at Mt. Maungaui. Most of the morning in Auckland was overcast and grey but as we drove the sun started popping out and it turned out to be a nice day.
On the way to Mt. Maunganui we stopped in Karangahake Gorge, an old abandoned gold mine. We took a hike along the river and through the at least mile long tunnel through the mountain.
At the end of the day we ended up at the beach and had a great dinner with friends and caught the sun going down over the bay.