On the road: Week five round-up
Distance travelled: 224km from Taupō to Paeroa.
Audiobook on deck: Mistborn: Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson. We’ve nearly finished it!
Currently watching: Fullmetal Alchemist. I have totally forgiven Dan his previous anime transgressions, as this series is awesome! Brutal, but awesome.
We were grateful for: Connecting with good people. This week, we got to hang out with Sam and Bobo, have a good long yarn with Mike and Caitlin, and meet a lovely couple, Ian and Moira, who allow NZMCA members to park on their fabulously peaceful Paeroa property.
We missed: Family and friends in Auckland, but we are looking forward to catching up next week when we are back.
We learned: That the network of CAPs (charges apply parking) and POPs (park over property) throughout New Zealand are a seriously brilliant way to find secure parking and to meet new people. It’s not just campgrounds and freedom camping - there’s loads in between.
Funniest moment: When I went to dump the contents of the toilet and accidentally kicked the loo lid down into the poo pit. I had to get on hands and knees and reach in up to my shoulder to fish it out while Dan stood above, helpfully telling me that he had told me so. I mean, he had. But, you know… timing of the message and all that!
Best save: Joining the RSA Online for $20, which means we are allowed to stay overnight in any of their car parks, so long as we sign in and at least buy a drink, which is no hardship!
Best campsite: Sapphire Springs in Katikati. $20 per night each for a powered site (NZMCA discount applied) which gave us a riverside spot, right next to the swimming hole. It also gave us access to the thermal pools and hot tubs, hot showers for $2 a pop, and laundry facilities. A little bit of luxury for the week!
Most scenic location: The swimming hole at McLaren Falls, where we went to have a dip with Sam and Bobo. Kratos enjoyed getting amongst it, launching himself off the ledge at the water’s edge to go and swim with Dan. It was delicious and we will be going back for more swims in the future.
Most interesting fact we learned: That the Priest Spring at the Polynesian Spa is named after Father Mahoney, a Catholic Priest who was ‘cured’ of his crippling arthritis from bathing in the waters in 1878.
We recommend: Lunch at the Karangahake Winery Estate - particularly the antipasto sharing platter with a glass of honey mead! Delicious.
Number of wrecked cars on the roadside: Just one!
Progress made towards our 20 in 2020: We swam at McLaren Falls (Opuiaki River) and we also swam in Te Rereatukahia River next to Sapphire Springs. I took Kratos for a walk up a hillside one evening and discovered that my fitness has noticeably improved, so we are on track for the Great Walks! Dan also made the most incredible char siu pork - although he used a package mix, he is looking at making pork bao from scratch soon.
