Houhoura Heads

We arrived at Houhora Heads later on Sunday afternoon after sightseeing around the Karikari Peninsula. The Wagener Holiday Park is listed as No 3 of NZ's Top 10 "Classic" campgrounds by the NZ Herald being nestled on the edge of the Houhora Harbour where we have views out over the harbour, river estuary and Mount Camel. A lovely spot even though you can only walk to the ocean beach at low tide and then it's a wade through the river mouth. They have 120 sites here quite a lot of them having unoccupied static caravans on them many with their own attached permanent "awnings". We thought we were the only ones here until we saw an older couple who had just come back in with their fishing boat today and a friend of theirs who lives here permanently. Apparently this is the first quiet month at the camp which is owned by the council but leased out. The current managers have only been here since July, and are moving on again soon, but have made a lot of changes for the better with the facilities all being freshened up and one of the best recycling areas we have seen - very organised with real examples of the items which can be disposed of in the bins displayed above each category.
The kitchen is very small though with only 4 gas rings, one microwave and 2 toasters but it seems that people who come here over summer have been coming for years so they know to bring their own barbies etc. Otherwise they are warned before they come that there might be queues if they need to use the kitchen!
With our NZMCA card it was only $25 a night to stay at this time of the year and we booked in for 2 nights but we are enjoying the spot so much that today we asked to extend our stay for another night. They have offered us 2 more nights for the price of one so we are going to do that!

Stressful or what?!

Len has found his fishing spot on the edge of the harbour and is chuffed - no snapper yet but 2 kahawai yesterday which I made into a nice fish pie ( enough for 2 nights) and 2 more kahawai today, one of which he will use for bait as soon we won't know what to do with them! Fish curry will be next on the menu but how we wish we had a smoker now as we love smoked kahawai although we were pleasantly surprised with how it turned out in the fish pie with it not being anyone's favourite fish, but pretty good still if eaten fresh.

Down in the mouth at the end of the round

We have been so lucky with the weather - the forecast keeps telling us there is going to be a lot of rain or showers but it is sunny most of the day, especially yesterday when it was very warm with no wind, until later in the afternoon which is when we seem to get the showers. Yesterday we played golf at Houhora which is the northernmost course in NZ so we have now played on the most northern and the most southern which was at Stewart Island. The course (9 holer) was in good condition but the grass didn't let the ball roll and if you went off the fairway it could be difficult to move the ball far. Some ponds and a few bunkers but Len didn't lose any balls!
It was warm and sunny until the 18th when the rain started - a bit of a shame to get wet on the last hole as putting wet gear into the boot isn't the greatest. Len had a sad face for both of us, not because of the rain but because neither of us had a good game! Thats golf for you!