It was goodbye to Kakahi this morning and on to Waimarino Golf Club for the next couple of nights. The sun light glinted on the light snow cover atop of Mt Ruapehu as we drove down SH4.
Mt Ruapehu
First stop on the journey was at the tiny hamlet of Raurimu, home of the famous Raurimu Railway Spiral. It is a notable feat of civil engineering, having been called an 'engineering masterpiece', and the Institute of Professional Engineers (NZ) has designated the spiral as a significant Engineering heritage site. The Raurimu Spiral is a single-track railway spiral, starting with a horseshoe curve, overcoming a 139 m height difference on the North Island Main Trunk Railway. Sadly, the bush clad hills covered any view of the famous spiral, so we made do with a quick look around instead.
Scenes of Raurimu
Kiwis of a certain age will remember the New Zealand film “Smash Palace”, released in 1981. The film chronicles a former race car driver (played by Bruno Lawrence) who inadvertently helps ruin his own marriage, then kidnaps his daughter (Greer Robson). Lawrence's character runs a car wrecking yard in the isolated area of New Zealand's North Island. Smash Palace was filmed at the massive yard at Horopito, just north of Ohakune, and this was our second stop of the morning. Car wrecks cover many acres of the property, as far as the eye can see.
Just a few of the car wrecks
The maze of old buildings holds stock piled up on shelf after shelf, all sorts of parts from years gone by, plus a museum museum to browse through. There are things here to keep a good keen mechanically minded bloke interested for years.
Smash Palace
We are staying somewhere different for the next couple of nights, at the Waimarino Golf Club grounds, just out of Ohakune. All of us are parked up on power, and showers, toilets and water are available. We were warmly welcomed by the staff, and enjoyed our 4zees under the shady covering looking out over the golf course, trying very hard to be quiet as we watched some members tee off. The manager kindly offered us the use of golf clubs to get out and have a hit around.
Parked up at Waimarino Gold Club
Robin and Peter decided to take up the offer of a game of golf and collected a trundler each. With a mighty swing each they were away down the fairway. It has been many years since either of them have played, and they both returned back to their respective caravans some time later, tired but happy.
Robin and Peter ready to start playing
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