BUY PDF CONTENTS 6 Summer 2023 Up Biking the Waikato River Trails Up Glyn Wooller Waikato River Trails recently attended the motorhome and campervan show at Mystery Creek, Hamilton. We were delighted and slightly overwhelmed with the interest in cycling, particularly from those with ebikes, and the keen interest in the camping areas along the trails. Here’s the exciting opportunities for your stay and cycle journey on the Waikato River Trails. The Trails are just over 100km long, extending from Atiamuri in the south to Lake Karapiro in the north. Seventy km is off-road and just over 30km on-road. The Trails largely sit close to the beautiful Waikato River with stunning scenery along each bend and it touches the villages of Atiamuri, Whakamaru, Mangakino and Arapuni. Cafés await you at Whakamaru, Mangakino and Arapuni. About half the use of the Trails is cycling the other half walking or running. Now the great news, if you have a campervan or caravan. Thanks to South Waikato and Taupo District Councils there are a number of fantastic riverside reserves available for camping, each directly connected to the trails. Dunhams reserve, Lake Whakamaru, Whakamaru reserve, Mangakino Lakefront reserve, Lake Mareatai, Jones Landing, Lake Arapuni and Little Waipa Reserve, Lake Karapiro. The Waikato River Trails website has detailed maps including all reserve locations. For maps and more information about the Waikato River Trails visit our website waikatorivertrails.co.nz . Have a great summer and we hope to see you on the trail — enjoy the ride, the cafes and remember if you need a shuttle there are great operators to help you out. A request from South Waikato District Council Freedom camping is welcomed at the following South Waikato District reserves: Little Waipa, Jones Landing, Lake Whakamaru Reserve and Dunhams Point. All these camping reserves have public toilets, BBQ, rubbish bins and shower facilities. Also boat ramp access. Council ask that you get a camping permit from the council website, it only takes a few minutes: ckw.nz/waikato-camp-permit Glyn Wooller, Waikato River Trails Up Up ​ ​ Waikato River Trails Waikato River Trails Waikato River Trails Waikato River Trails 1/3

4 Winter 2023 ISSUE 4 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up Camping The Kiwi Way, Winter 2023 ​ Up Featured ‘ Let’s go south for a few weeks ’ ‘How many weeks?’ ‘Eight.’ ‘How about six?’ Greenies on the road : Managing food scraps. Winter's here : Some of our most glorious times camping have been in the winter season. Tips and tricks. Before the cyclone : Freedom Camping Eastern Hawke's Bay, Winter 2022. Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track : We put it to a family-friendly test: with my toddler (and his dada) in tow, we set out. Self containment changes in brief RV & Camper business services : Self containment, LPG work, electrical work, motorhome work & more. Table of Contents 2 Small town friendly 4 Editorial: The good news 4 One hundred nights a year 4 Winter’s not going to stop Mavis 5 ‘Let’s go south for a few weeks’ 6 Why we chose our Swift Sprite Quattro caravan 7 I am on track 7 Eight degrees of harm 8 Halfway through my 73 days traveling 9 Greenies on the road: Managing food scraps 10 A stove jack 11 It was cold at Mavora Lakes. Plenty of snow around. 12 Winter's here... Tips and tricks 13 Pegs for tough weather 13 Quinneys Bush Family Holiday Camp 14 Get on ya bike 16 Two long blacks and a cheese scone 17 I did it! My very first solo camping and tramping trip! 18 Gold miner Wattie Thompson 19 Before the cyclone : Freedom Camping Eastern Hawke's Bay, Winter 2022 23 Winter at Nokomai Station 23 CampFest — Bulls, 2023 24 Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track, Mavora Lakes : A family test 26 Waikato west coast road trip 27 Camping as a young family 27 Recipes for camping: Vege Nachos 27 Our morning view, heater on 28 Game: Fill in the grid 29 Kimbolton Sculpture Festival 2023 33 Stop and Stay The Store cafe and camp – Kekerungu (Marlborough) Lakelands Holiday Park , Whanganui 34 NZers go camping: clubs & groups : Life of Van 34 EVENTS — Camping 35 EVENTS — Festivals and show s 36 Self containment changes in brief 37 RV & Camper business services 47 Coffee Time Up Up ​ 1/0

BUY PDF CONTENTS 6 Summer 2023 Up Teardrop camping Up Andrew Morton Teardrop camping. Cycling in Central Otago. ©2023 Andrew Morton Up Up ​ ​ Teardrop camping ©2023 Andrew Morton Teardrop camping ©2023 Andrew Morton 1/1

Click on image for full view and caption Teardrop camping ©2023 Andrew Morton Article title Author Up Up this item , p pageNum GO TO Celebrating Summer Pull quote FC status SEASON 2024 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF CONTENTS Feilding, New Zealand ​

Click on image for full view and caption Mavis mavis_20231020_164738_th.webp Mavis ceiling and curtains Mavis diesel heating mavis external diesel heater Mavis internal solar Mavis external solar Mavis battery cooling Mavis at Mangawhai Mavis chooks Mavis chooks Mavis flamingos Mavis flamingos Mavis flamingos mavis_20231020_164738_mw.webp Mavis sink Article title Author Up Up this item , p pageNum GO TO Celebrating Summer Pull quote FC status SEASON 2024 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF CONTENTS Feilding, New Zealand ​

BUY PDF CONTENTS 6 Summer 2023 Up Mavis and all her DIY Up Cheine Matheson It all started with needing a new roof hatch… well not exactly needing , but more a case of wanting . Out with the old and in with the new. Ceiling and curtains The problem now was that the shiny new hatch far exceeds the old worn ceiling; new plywood with a fancy grey paint-wash finish added to the list, and while I’m at it, I thought I might as well throw some left-over ceiling insulation in there too. House skirting boards were the perfect size and shape for ceiling scotia and made excellent curtain track mounts. Curtains were a must, so some home-made block-outs were made to fit perfectly around the whole inside. Here’s a brilliant idea… while everything is stripped apart, why not… This started what is known as “the slippery slope” or “the worm hole.” Here’s a brilliant idea… while everything is stripped apart why not add a “little bit” of solar power… so in went a few ceiling lights while telling myself I will not add too many things. Solar power — internal Burnsco and Jaycar… these are the only 2 shops you need, and they have a loyalty program so the more you spend the more “essential treats” you can get. Burnsco supplied me with the “100Watt solar package” which was so incredibly easy to install with a120Ah battery, 20amp controller and a 100Watt panel. Naturally I had to add a bluetooth module to the package so I could monitor everything without having to get out of the camp chair. Jaycar supplied me with all the wiring, switches, lights and accessories. There are usb ports and 12v cigarette sockets dotted around the inside plus an outdoor heavy duty power source. Everything is on separate, fused, master switches located in the “old fridge cupboard.” For extra “treats” I purchased a 300W inverter that I use for the portable broadband and sky decoder on those rainy days. Solar power — external After a few camping trips during the cloudy season I decided to upgrade the original 100W solar panel to a 200W panel. Now I have a 100W panel spare … and Mitre10 has a huge sale on tool boxes! I’m about quarter of the way down the worm hole now, but in my defence, it’s always good to have a back-up power supply… Right??? A very, very simple set-up, that is just a waterproof solar module to charge the battery from the original 100watt panel and a set of 12v accessory power supplies. The only downside to the solar module is you cannot see how much charge your battery has, however a green light comes on when at full capacity. Battery cooling With summer approaching I was a little bit worried about the heat affecting my batteries, so a quick shop on GrabOne found me a “Chicken Hut” cooling fan set-up, no power supply needed, a small solar panel powers the 2 fans when in sunlight so one fan went in the tool box and another in the inside set-up… works perfectly maintaining a steady airflow drawing air from under the caravan. Diesel heating Best thing I ever bought … don’t skimp on the heat output. I chose a portable 8kw unit that was also on GrabOne for only $200. I have run it all winter and never had a problem with it, the only thing I added was a fuel filter and upgraded the air filter. People say you only need 2kw however I have seen others have to run at full heat just to get a toasty room. With 8kw I only ever run it on absolute low. My theory is with the 8kw you use less diesel and power only having to run it on low. Over an 8 hour period I use 2.5 litres of fuel and about 10% of my 120Ah battery. Super quiet compared to a 2kw screaming its head off. The benefit of a portable unit is that come summer time I don’t need it, so save valuable storage space. The heat output duct is on a swivel inside so you can have it pointing straight out the door if the awning is set up and it warms the entire area within minutes. Sink The original sink was one of the first things to go, too small and very used looking. Top tip for searching caravan parts… search for boat parts instead. They are smaller and lighter… and for some reason cheaper. Easy quick install with a boat tap also. A 9 litre a minute electric pump, fitted alongside the water tank, feeds ample amounts of water via the waterproof push button switch. The tap has a separate on/off toggle on it that I turn off while travelling to eliminate any water dribbling through. Burnsco supplied all this and they have a huge selection to choose from. Maintenance Winter saw a lot of preventative maintenance, new tyres were fitted with the rims getting sand blasted and repainted at the same time. The chassis was already in great condition so I went over it again with a wire brush and repainted it with PA10 rust proofing paint just to make it really shine. Dwights waterproofing was applied to all the canvas — I was a little disappointed that it didn’t make the water bead off and thought I had wasted my money on it however it gives you that wet look when raining but dries almost instantly. It pays to waterproof both sides as per instructions too… only doing one side doesn’t achieve much. Future ideas Not a lot of other things to do at this stage, I am currently making a bracket to attach to the drawbar in front of the tool box that will hold a cantilever umbrella instead of having to put up extra poles and shade sails. Originally was toying with the idea of self-containment but I cant justify it as I prefer to frequent campgrounds and the free overnight camping areas that have the facilities for you. All the plumbing work I have done is up to self-containment spec though, in case one day I decide to go for it. Labour weekend at Mangawhai Four poptoppers in attendance at the Labour weekend gathering. All very different set-ups, a great group of people and lots of stories and ideas floating around. Much like myself, everyone had their own special touches on their poptops that made them their own. Only 2 of us brought garden ornaments and started competing. Unfortunately the Flamingos took out my Chickens — I was too under-prepared for someone just as competitive as myself! (It’s the next get together that I’m looking forward to — already I have purchased more, haha!) Up Up ​ ​ Mavis mavis_20231020_164738_th.webp Mavis sink Mavis 1/16

4 Winter 2023 ISSUE 4 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up Camping The Kiwi Way, Winter 2023 ​ Up Featured ‘ Let’s go south for a few weeks ’ ‘How many weeks?’ ‘Eight.’ ‘How about six?’ Greenies on the road : Managing food scraps. Winter's here : Some of our most glorious times camping have been in the winter season. Tips and tricks. Before the cyclone : Freedom Camping Eastern Hawke's Bay, Winter 2022. Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track : We put it to a family-friendly test: with my toddler (and his dada) in tow, we set out. Self containment changes in brief RV & Camper business services : Self containment, LPG work, electrical work, motorhome work & more. Table of Contents 2 Small town friendly 4 Editorial: The good news 4 One hundred nights a year 4 Winter’s not going to stop Mavis 5 ‘Let’s go south for a few weeks’ 6 Why we chose our Swift Sprite Quattro caravan 7 I am on track 7 Eight degrees of harm 8 Halfway through my 73 days traveling 9 Greenies on the road: Managing food scraps 10 A stove jack 11 It was cold at Mavora Lakes. Plenty of snow around. 12 Winter's here... Tips and tricks 13 Pegs for tough weather 13 Quinneys Bush Family Holiday Camp 14 Get on ya bike 16 Two long blacks and a cheese scone 17 I did it! My very first solo camping and tramping trip! 18 Gold miner Wattie Thompson 19 Before the cyclone : Freedom Camping Eastern Hawke's Bay, Winter 2022 23 Winter at Nokomai Station 23 CampFest — Bulls, 2023 24 Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track, Mavora Lakes : A family test 26 Waikato west coast road trip 27 Camping as a young family 27 Recipes for camping: Vege Nachos 27 Our morning view, heater on 28 Game: Fill in the grid 29 Kimbolton Sculpture Festival 2023 33 Stop and Stay The Store cafe and camp – Kekerungu (Marlborough) Lakelands Holiday Park , Whanganui 34 NZers go camping: clubs & groups : Life of Van 34 EVENTS — Camping 35 EVENTS — Festivals and show s 36 Self containment changes in brief 37 RV & Camper business services 47 Coffee Time Up Up ​ 1/0

4 Winter 2023 ISSUE 4 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up Camping The Kiwi Way, Winter 2023 ​ Up Featured ‘ Let’s go south for a few weeks ’ ‘How many weeks?’ ‘Eight.’ ‘How about six?’ Greenies on the road : Managing food scraps. Winter's here : Some of our most glorious times camping have been in the winter season. Tips and tricks. Before the cyclone : Freedom Camping Eastern Hawke's Bay, Winter 2022. Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track : We put it to a family-friendly test: with my toddler (and his dada) in tow, we set out. Self containment changes in brief RV & Camper business services : Self containment, LPG work, electrical work, motorhome work & more. Table of Contents 2 Small town friendly 4 Editorial: The good news 4 One hundred nights a year 4 Winter’s not going to stop Mavis 5 ‘Let’s go south for a few weeks’ 6 Why we chose our Swift Sprite Quattro caravan 7 I am on track 7 Eight degrees of harm 8 Halfway through my 73 days traveling 9 Greenies on the road: Managing food scraps 10 A stove jack 11 It was cold at Mavora Lakes. Plenty of snow around. 12 Winter's here... Tips and tricks 13 Pegs for tough weather 13 Quinneys Bush Family Holiday Camp 14 Get on ya bike 16 Two long blacks and a cheese scone 17 I did it! My very first solo camping and tramping trip! 18 Gold miner Wattie Thompson 19 Before the cyclone : Freedom Camping Eastern Hawke's Bay, Winter 2022 23 Winter at Nokomai Station 23 CampFest — Bulls, 2023 24 Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track, Mavora Lakes : A family test 26 Waikato west coast road trip 27 Camping as a young family 27 Recipes for camping: Vege Nachos 27 Our morning view, heater on 28 Game: Fill in the grid 29 Kimbolton Sculpture Festival 2023 33 Stop and Stay The Store cafe and camp – Kekerungu (Marlborough) Lakelands Holiday Park , Whanganui 34 NZers go camping: clubs & groups : Life of Van 34 EVENTS — Camping 35 EVENTS — Festivals and show s 36 Self containment changes in brief 37 RV & Camper business services 47 Coffee Time Up Up ​ 1/0

​ ​ BUY PDF CONTENTS Click on image for full view and caption Mavis mavis_20231020_164738_th.webp Mavis ceiling and curtains Mavis diesel heating mavis external diesel heater Mavis internal solar Mavis external solar Mavis battery cooling Mavis at Mangawhai Mavis chooks Mavis chooks Mavis flamingos Mavis flamingos Mavis flamingos mavis_20231020_164738_mw.webp Mavis sink Mavis and all her DIY Cheine Matheson It all started with needing a new roof hatch… well not exactly needing , but more a case of wanting . Out with the old and in with the new. Ceiling and curtains The problem now was that the shiny new hatch far exceeds the old worn ceiling; new plywood with a fancy grey paint-wash finish added to the list, and while I’m at it, I thought I might as well throw some left-over ceiling insulation in there too. House skirting boards were the perfect size and shape for ceiling scotia and made excellent curtain track mounts. Curtains were a must, so some home-made block-outs were made to fit perfectly around the whole inside. Here’s a brilliant idea… while everything is stripped apart, why not… This started what is known as “the slippery slope” or “the worm hole.” Here’s a brilliant idea… while everything is stripped apart why not add a “little bit” of solar power… so in went a few ceiling lights while telling myself I will not add too many things. Solar power — internal Burnsco and Jaycar… these are the only 2 shops you need, and they have a loyalty program so the more you spend the more “essential treats” you can get. Burnsco supplied me with the “100Watt solar package” which was so incredibly easy to install with a120Ah battery, 20amp controller and a 100Watt panel. Naturally I had to add a bluetooth module to the package so I could monitor everything without having to get out of the camp chair. Jaycar supplied me with all the wiring, switches, lights and accessories. There are usb ports and 12v cigarette sockets dotted around the inside plus an outdoor heavy duty power source. Everything is on separate, fused, master switches located in the “old fridge cupboard.” For extra “treats” I purchased a 300W inverter that I use for the portable broadband and sky decoder on those rainy days. Solar power — external After a few camping trips during the cloudy season I decided to upgrade the original 100W solar panel to a 200W panel. Now I have a 100W panel spare … and Mitre10 has a huge sale on tool boxes! I’m about quarter of the way down the worm hole now, but in my defence, it’s always good to have a back-up power supply… Right??? A very, very simple set-up, that is just a waterproof solar module to charge the battery from the original 100watt panel and a set of 12v accessory power supplies. The only downside to the solar module is you cannot see how much charge your battery has, however a green light comes on when at full capacity. Battery cooling With summer approaching I was a little bit worried about the heat affecting my batteries, so a quick shop on GrabOne found me a “Chicken Hut” cooling fan set-up, no power supply needed, a small solar panel powers the 2 fans when in sunlight so one fan went in the tool box and another in the inside set-up… works perfectly maintaining a steady airflow drawing air from under the caravan. Diesel heating Best thing I ever bought … don’t skimp on the heat output. I chose a portable 8kw unit that was also on GrabOne for only $200. I have run it all winter and never had a problem with it, the only thing I added was a fuel filter and upgraded the air filter. People say you only need 2kw however I have seen others have to run at full heat just to get a toasty room. With 8kw I only ever run it on absolute low. My theory is with the 8kw you use less diesel and power only having to run it on low. Over an 8 hour period I use 2.5 litres of fuel and about 10% of my 120Ah battery. Super quiet compared to a 2kw screaming its head off. The benefit of a portable unit is that come summer time I don’t need it, so save valuable storage space. The heat output duct is on a swivel inside so you can have it pointing straight out the door if the awning is set up and it warms the entire area within minutes. Sink The original sink was one of the first things to go, too small and very used looking. Top tip for searching caravan parts… search for boat parts instead. They are smaller and lighter… and for some reason cheaper. Easy quick install with a boat tap also. A 9 litre a minute electric pump, fitted alongside the water tank, feeds ample amounts of water via the waterproof push button switch. The tap has a separate on/off toggle on it that I turn off while travelling to eliminate any water dribbling through. Burnsco supplied all this and they have a huge selection to choose from. Maintenance Winter saw a lot of preventative maintenance, new tyres were fitted with the rims getting sand blasted and repainted at the same time. The chassis was already in great condition so I went over it again with a wire brush and repainted it with PA10 rust proofing paint just to make it really shine. Dwights waterproofing was applied to all the canvas — I was a little disappointed that it didn’t make the water bead off and thought I had wasted my money on it however it gives you that wet look when raining but dries almost instantly. It pays to waterproof both sides as per instructions too… only doing one side doesn’t achieve much. Future ideas Not a lot of other things to do at this stage, I am currently making a bracket to attach to the drawbar in front of the tool box that will hold a cantilever umbrella instead of having to put up extra poles and shade sails. Originally was toying with the idea of self-containment but I cant justify it as I prefer to frequent campgrounds and the free overnight camping areas that have the facilities for you. All the plumbing work I have done is up to self-containment spec though, in case one day I decide to go for it. Labour weekend at Mangawhai Four poptoppers in attendance at the Labour weekend gathering. All very different set-ups, a great group of people and lots of stories and ideas floating around. Much like myself, everyone had their own special touches on their poptops that made them their own. Only 2 of us brought garden ornaments and started competing. Unfortunately the Flamingos took out my Chickens — I was too under-prepared for someone just as competitive as myself! (It’s the next get together that I’m looking forward to — already I have purchased more, haha!) GO TO Celebrating Summer ​ ​ Up Up ​ , p 6

Click on image for full view and caption Bivvy Article title Author Up Up this item , p pageNum GO TO Celebrating Summer Pull quote FC status SEASON 2024 ISSUE 1 BUY PDF CONTENTS Feilding, New Zealand ​

4 Winter 2023 ISSUE 4 BUY PDF CONTENTS Up Camping The Kiwi Way, Winter 2023 ​ Up Featured ‘ Let’s go south for a few weeks ’ ‘How many weeks?’ ‘Eight.’ ‘How about six?’ Greenies on the road : Managing food scraps. Winter's here : Some of our most glorious times camping have been in the winter season. Tips and tricks. Before the cyclone : Freedom Camping Eastern Hawke's Bay, Winter 2022. Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track : We put it to a family-friendly test: with my toddler (and his dada) in tow, we set out. Self containment changes in brief RV & Camper business services : Self containment, LPG work, electrical work, motorhome work & more. Table of Contents 2 Small town friendly 4 Editorial: The good news 4 One hundred nights a year 4 Winter’s not going to stop Mavis 5 ‘Let’s go south for a few weeks’ 6 Why we chose our Swift Sprite Quattro caravan 7 I am on track 7 Eight degrees of harm 8 Halfway through my 73 days traveling 9 Greenies on the road: Managing food scraps 10 A stove jack 11 It was cold at Mavora Lakes. Plenty of snow around. 12 Winter's here... Tips and tricks 13 Pegs for tough weather 13 Quinneys Bush Family Holiday Camp 14 Get on ya bike 16 Two long blacks and a cheese scone 17 I did it! My very first solo camping and tramping trip! 18 Gold miner Wattie Thompson 19 Before the cyclone : Freedom Camping Eastern Hawke's Bay, Winter 2022 23 Winter at Nokomai Station 23 CampFest — Bulls, 2023 24 Kiwi Burn Hut Loop Track, Mavora Lakes : A family test 26 Waikato west coast road trip 27 Camping as a young family 27 Recipes for camping: Vege Nachos 27 Our morning view, heater on 28 Game: Fill in the grid 29 Kimbolton Sculpture Festival 2023 33 Stop and Stay The Store cafe and camp – Kekerungu (Marlborough) Lakelands Holiday Park , Whanganui 34 NZers go camping: clubs & groups : Life of Van 34 EVENTS — Camping 35 EVENTS — Festivals and show s 36 Self containment changes in brief 37 RV & Camper business services 47 Coffee Time Up Up ​ 1/0

BUY PDF CONTENTS 6 Summer 2023 Up You have to be here… Up Miriam Richardson We gathered in Alexandra in Autumn, four of us and a dog. It’s a great season for biking in Central Otago, not too hot, and the weather is usually settled. We headed to Clyde to test out our gear and our selves, to buy a passport and take some starting-out photos.Three of us had electric bikes, one was muscle-powered. Mocha in his Buddy Rider We all had motorhomes or vans, and our route was planned so that we rode to a mid point then back, moved to the next park up, returned to the mid point then home to our vans again. Effectively we were riding the trail in both directions at once. We were not very fit, so the daily rides had to be under 25km, a planning challenge ably met by our intrepid leader Sue. Mocha, Sue’s companion, travelled in his “buddy rider.” 152 km to cover; twice. We were in no rush: we took a leisurely 11 days. The track surface was mostly good, with some uncomfortable, poorly-repaired places, and though it was never steep, it felt like it at times. Electric bikes are very good for not overworking muscles, but sitting on a bike seat requires its own kind of fitness training; even with our relatively short daily rides the sitting was a challenge. We woke to a flock of sheep and a closed gate at the free camping spot by the river in Omakau (photo, right), just over the bridge from the town. The overnight fee at Haye’s Engineering, Oturehua gave us entrance to their intriguing exhibits. Eight days in, we were at Waipiata, one of my favourite spots: a lovely domain with free camping (donations welcome), a pub, with superb pies (one now and two for later) a historic village to wander through, and various rail sculptures and memorabilia especially for rail-trailers. It was here we realised how well we had jelled as a group. Three of us ready to go, standing with our bikes, while our 4th was still making her morning cuppa. She looked out her window, oops — the time is now! We were happy while we waited. Enjoying the morning. No hurry. No sideways looks. Four relative strangers enjoying our journey. 1943 Hyde memorial It was quintessential NZ to meet a school friend at the Hyde railway accident memorial on our lunch stop. She is now a Wellingtonian and school was over 50 years ago. Middle of nowhere, “ fancy meeting you here … ” That’s NZ. The sky, the clouds, the hills, the vista changed as we travelled, but always vast and uplifting. We struggled sometimes, we had some glitches with our electric bikes. Our muscle-powered companion kept pace, right until the very last stretch, when the threat of rain had her disappear into the distance leaving us way, way behind. I really lovely ride, well worth the effort. Sue and Mocha at the finish gate. Our overnight parks Alexandra; Chatto Creek at the tavern; Omakau, a free camp by the river (above); Oturehua at Hayes Engineering; Ranfurly NZMCA park; Waipiata in their beautiful domain; Tiroiti a free camp (below), and finally Middlemarch at the campground. Viewed from the trail, the Tiroiti free camp, above, is a stretch of firm parking alongside a quiet side-road. You have to be here; you have to feel the deep slow surge of the hills, the cloak of before, the wrench of beyond. From ‘Van Morrison in Central Otago’ by Brian Turner Up Up ​ Click on the gallery for a full size view Otago Rail Trail ©2023 M Richardson (RailTrail_5604) Clyde, Otago Rail Trail ©2023 M Richardson (Railtrail_5305) railtrail-oturehua_5482_mw.webp ©2023 M Richardson Otago Rail Trail ©2023 M Richardson (RailTrail_5604) 1/29