Fun in the sun - and under the water - for two young cousins in Tauranga

Natalia Pratt (left) with her cousin Izariah Ririnui. Photo / George Novak

Izariah Ririnui and her younger cousin Natalia Pratt cooled off under a water feature on Tauranga's waterfront yesterday as the midday sun scorched down.

Izariah, 8, lives in Perth and is in New Zealand for three months for the summer holidays, staying with family near Wairoa on the outskirts of Tauranga.

She said she was enjoying her afternoon on The Strand and her Kiwi summer holiday.

"It's been nice and hot when we're going for swims."

Natalia, 3, said the best part of her summer was all the swimming and having family stay at her house.

Moe Pai Ririnui, Izariah's mum, said it had been good to see all the family. There had been lots of swimming, time with loved ones, eating and "just having fun".

The 29-year-old said there was also plenty of time spent at the Wairoa River, their local swimming hole.

"Heaps of kids down there, all the cousins."

She said the weather had been pretty similar to Perth.

"The sun's really strong here, but there's still a nice cold breeze."