Arapuni, Tokoroa Golf

It was such a peaceful night in the Arapuni Jubilee Reserve with just the sounds of little birds chirping on waking. It felt a very safe place to stay being nestled in a quiet housing area behind the main road. 

We definitely won't be jumping!

Jelly legs!?

After breakfast we did a kind of loop walk from the reserve, across the main road and down past the rugby ground to the Swing Bridge below the Arapuni Power station. 

1929 power station still operating. 

On crossing the bridge we walked up the private road to the dam itself, crossing it and then returning back to town down the side of the river, this path forming part of the 100km Waikato River Cycle trail.

Rhubarb in Arapuni. 

Following the sign and the rumble of our stomachs we soon found the only "shop" in town which happened to be Rhubarb, a cafe we had read good reviews about. It was already busy and, as expected, the coffee was good and the slices we shared just delicious although it had been hard to make a choice with their yummy looking selection!

More exercise now needed!!  So our GPS, Claudette, was programmed for the Tokoroa golf course where there was a Men's regional Pennants competition on when we arrived but by the time we had eaten lunch (yet more food) it was clear enough for us to tee off on No 1. We liked this country course with it's conifers, twisty willows, oak trees and it's own special challenges such as some greens being perched up high. The greens were a nice relief after The Narrows where they were like lightening. Tokeroa's were more our speed style! The fairways were quite wide and reasonably straight so it was easy to navigate our way around.

The golf course allows NZMCA members to stay for a small fee and as we had paid green fees of $25 each there was no extra charge for us to stay. We would have normally had to move on to dump our waste but because we could use their shower and toilets, which they left open all night, we could stave off having to do this for another day. The carpark is right beside SH1 and although we moved up right behind the clubhouse, once all the players had left, the traffic noise still found its way round each end of the building which meant that our sleep was about the same as normal - disturbed!
But we still appreciate being able to stay.

Saturday morning we had a leisurely breakfast and then watched the men arriving to play in their competition before taking to the road once again this time heading to the NZMCA park in Ngongataha, Rotorua. The countryside on the way was just beautiful with all the bobbly green hills and stunning autumn colours of all the deciduous trees. Almost every bend seemed to inspire another "wow" - we do live in a very beautiful  country.