Piha was and still is an awesome place to explore and play as kids. I spent hours and days there waiting for Paul to come in from the surf. Hoping for the elusive ice block treat. My brother Jess had spent so much time there on his own that he knew the shop people by name and sometimes could swindle some free lollies. The river, the rock, the dunes were all places for adventure on the hot, hot black sand.