Beach day

Yesterday was our designated beach day at the beautiful Orewa beach. We woke up stoked for a day without sitting in a chair for 7 hours and for a day just to soak up the New Zealand sun. However, this did not occur. Sadly enough it was pouring buckets all day! Despite the torrential rain we were going to go anyways. We hopped on the bus down to the church and got into vans to travel down. We arrived at the beach and most of us just ran straight for the water. The temperature was amazing! It was warmer in the water than it was standing outside. The waves were perfect for boogie boarding and relaxing.

Once we had been at the beach for about 2 hours we all got a little chilly and decided to get out. Then we realized, that was a bad idea because the wind and the rain combined made it freezing! We then hopped back into the vans and drove to a thermal spa resort. 

This place hit just the spot! It has natural hot pools to sit in. One of the pools actually had a movie playing! How cool is that!  The natural thermal pools are sheltered by the native bush and hills of the Waiwera Valley which made it that much better. 

When we were all relaxed and defrosted from the beach, we decided to head back to the church. Our director was going to take her kids one last time on the lazy river so a group of girls and I (5 total) ran into the bathrooms and changed into dry clothes so we could go shopping after. Two of the girls finished before us and left the bathrooms. When the two other girls and I were finished (which was not much after) we walked swiftly to where the group had put their stuff. Everything was gone and so we assumed they were waiting by the vans. This, however, was not true. The vans were gone. Very, very gone. Luckily I had the directors phone number in my wallet and we gave her a call. Thank goodness she answered! Then the 2 vans, and mini pink car, all turned around. To this moment I still don't understand how they left with 3 people missing. But hey, now I have a really good story about being left in a foreign country!