The caravan sites at Awastone Camp had dried out considerably overnight – most of the puddles had disappeared. With the Rangitikei River racing along, and the towering cliffs as a backdrop, this is a very scenic spot indeed.
View from our camp site
There was time for a walk around the campgrounds in the morning, taking a few extra photos, and disposing of the rubbish. The side view of the bridge makes it look much higher than when we drove over it the previous day.
And here are our vans – must be almost time to start packing up, winding up the steadies, hitching up, and on our way again.
Back over the bridge we drove, and turned back on to SH1. We hadn’t traveled very far at all when we spotted a train in the distance. The engine was pulling just a few freight wagons, followed by a long, long line of empty wagons.
Freight train at Mangaweka
There seemed to be an awful lot of road works being done along the very busy Desert Road. Men with Stop signs held up long lines of traffic, while workmen were busily attending to their business on the side of the road. Would I see the mountain clearly today, I wondered? No - coming into Waiouru Mt Ruapehu was well hidden under the low clouds.
Mt Ruapehu is under the clouds
After a drive of 160km we arrived at our destination for the night, thee NZMCA site at Taupo Airport. We have stayed here many times, and it is a handy stop on the way north. There is water available, and some of those very important rubbish bins, plus a swap-a-book shelf for keen readers like me. Geoff and Eileen arrived not too long after us. And who should we find in residence, none other than Harry and Lorraine from the Wairarapa Caravan Club – so of course we had a catch up with them.
Arrived safe and sound at Taupo
After a late lunch we drove down town to buy a few necessary items. And top of the list was to take our new NZMCA Travel Directory into a stationery shop to get it spiral bound and a clear plastic cover front and back. What a difference this makes to such a well used book as we travel around the country.
All ready for many kms of travel
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