On to Eketahuna

It was goodbye to Woodville and off we went down SH2 to Eketahuna, just a short 42km drive away.  The snow on top of the ranges glistened in the sunshine. 

Snow on the ranges

The entrance to Eketahuna Camping Ground was down a very steep drive, and opened out into a nice grassy area.  It is quite some years since we last visited this camp, when it was very overgrown and shaded by many trees.  The trees have obviously been thinned out considerably, making the it a very attractive, although  small  campground. 

Here we are at Eketahuna

The camp is set in a scenic reserve on the banks of the Makakahi river.  A rustic building houses the kitchen, ablutions, and laundry, and is “pet friendly” too.  Just as well, as we have Muffy travelling with us.  Mind you, she likes to stay safe and sound in the caravan so is very little trouble at all.

Amenities block

The sound of clip clop, clip clop attracted my attention, and four horses and riders walked slowly down into the camp.  One of the horses was a beautifully marked  Appaloosa, and the owner confided that the horse was older than her daughter, who was riding him.  It turned out that the horse was 27 years old, and had gone blind, which shows the trust between the horse and rider.  Who would have thought that a blind horse would be happy to be ridden at all?

Out for an afternoon walk

The camp managers knocked on our caravan doors in the evening to collect our fees.  They do not live on site, and had been down to the big smoke of Wellington for the day, they told us.  However, one of the permanent campers on site had sent a text to alert them that there were visitors in camp.  They were very friendly, the fees are extremely reasonable and the camp is kept nice and tidy.  And best of all, the washing machine is available at no charge.  With a couple of days of laundry on hand, I just had to take advantage of that. 

The expected frost did not happen overnight, so it was not too cold at all when we ventured out in the morning.  Today’s trip of approximately 50km will take us down SH2, past Mt Bruce and Masterton, to meet up with our caravan club friends for a weekend rally at Carterton.