Piha.  Lion Rock.  Hello old friend.  There’s a lot to be said for the glimpse of that rock, the beach and the sea, as you round the corner and reach the coast.  That view sure lifts the spirit.

A drive out from Auckland to famous black sand beaches is highly recommended, whatever the season.  But for a spring walk on the sand, to blow the cobwebs and clear the head, it’s certainly a tremendous place.  And, happily, we can report....