Manapouri

It was goodbye after four nights at Te Anau,  just a skip and jump, 24km drive to our next stop at Manapouri. 

Goodbye, Te Anau

We are staying at the Manapouri NZMCA Park, recently purchased by NZMCA.  We can remember staying at this newly opened commercial motor camp back in 2012 when we were on a South Island holiday with several other vans.  Licensed to 50 sites, there is a choice of power or non power, plus toilets, showers, laundry, e-bike charging stations, dump station and rubbish available.  Normal NZMCA rates apply for non power sites,  with extra for power, showers and laundry and e-bike charging.

It was reasonably quiet when we arrived, but with the long Waitangi weekend coming up, the caretaker told us he was expecting the camp to fill up very quickly.  And it did, one after another the vans kept rolling in.

Manapouri NZMCA Park

Manapouri derives its name from a Maori word meaning “lake of the sorrowing heart,” with reference to a legend that its waters are the tears of dying sisters.  It is situated in the World Heritage Site Fiordland National Park, with fiords and lakes all carved out by ancient glaciers.

Lake Manapouri

Those of us with long memories will remember in the 1970s when a plan was proposed to raise the level of Lake Manapouri by 12m to provide more water storage for the Lake Manapouri Power Station.  The prospect of irreparable damage to this most beautiful lake outraged New Zealanders, leading to a nationwide protest and a huge petition presented to Parliament.  Eventfully the idea was scrapped, and meanwhile John Hanlon’s song “Damn the Dam” became the rallying call to stop the travesty.

  Damn the dam cried the fantail,
  As he flew into as he flew into the sky,
  To give power to the people
  All this beauty has to die…

Down at the lakeside is a monument showing just how high the water would have been raised if the plan had gone ahead.  You can see the lake in the distance.

“Manapouri Saved”

We have stayed here before so I was aware of the name “Pearl Habour” just out of town where the boat trips leave from.  By why this name, I wondered?  We called into the Info Centre/booking office to find out.  Seems that the name was given to the harbour soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 1941 when during a particularly  low tide many of the boats were found laying on their sides in the mud as if they had been attacked.

Pearl Habour, New Zealand

Fellow campers had recommended The Church café/bistro in town, so we took ourselves there for Saturday lunch, and what a lovely place it was.   Originally Otautau St Andrews Anglican Church St Andrews, this lovely old building was re-sited at Manapouri and found a new purpose in life.  We were joined at our table by another caravanning couple, who, like us, didn't want to eat a meal perched up on bar stools.  Sad to say, but at our age, a dining table and chairs suit us much better.  I’m pleased we arrived early, as family groups soon arrived to fill the place.  Our meals were very tasty indeed, I’m so pleased we came.

Lunch at The Church

I love the misty mountains in this area