Turangi Another Small Town Surprise.

There was a time, not so long ago, when we were within single figures of having stayed at all of the NZMCA Parks. But, with life and medical issues getting in the way of motorhoming and the NZMCA undergoing a major expansion of the Park network, suddenly we are well short (we now have 19 left to visit) . So, to address the situation and try and have a bit of a catch up earlier this year we visited two newish ones. OK not that new but new to us.

We had stayed at the old NZMCA Park in Taupo a couple of times when it was located alongside the airport. From there it didn’t seem that far to ride down the hill to Five Mile Bay, and then onto the cycle track into town. Somehow, the replacement feels more distant and remote even though it’s the same distance from town at just over seven kilometres. It would however be incredibly handy if you were in Taupo for a motorsport or horse racing event since it’s within the racetrack complex.

Anyway, we arrived in Taupo on a very wet afternoon and found a spot at the far end of the park. Thinking we were away from the traffic noise only to discover that the road headed uphill just behind us. Still, we only noticed a couple of times large trucks using their airbrakes so it wasn’t any worse than some other places. I was also a little concerned about the surface with some large muddy spots evident but despite the rain the ground was firm in other areas. Sadly, the rain continued and put paid to our planned adventures in Taupo. We ended up spending two days sheltering from it in the park before moving on. Perhaps another time we will again explore more around there. The other Park we wanted to visit was the one just down the road in Turangi.

There is quite a difference between the park in Taupo and one in Turangi, the most obvious ones being the surface, and closeness to town. Turangi has a sealed surface so there are no worries about getting stuck here. Unless, you were like the unlucky people we spoke to who were having battery/starter motor problems with their motorhome and ended up staying more nights than they first thought. Thankfully there are a number of mechanical repair shops within easy walking distance, and they were able to get the issues resolved. Area’s like this one can look a lot like a large abandoned carpark when empty, as was the case when we first arrived, but by the end of the day a decent number of campers had arrived.

As the membership of the NZMCA grows so does the diversity of both people and campervans/caravans staying within the park network. Some people will barely acknowledge you while others can be almost impossible to escape from. I think this speaks to how many different reasons people have for staying at a specific park. Some visiting family, others using it as a stopover point or others like us looking to see what the area has to offer that might be different from the last. Too many of us seem to race from one destination to the next without taking the time to explore what is around us. That was certainly the case when Sarah and I toured the South Island. A new motto slightly adapted from my time spent in hospital waiting rooms might be hurry up and slow down . There is just so much to see in small town NZ.

Turangi is another of those towns where unless you are into trout fishing you probably just drive through on the way to somewhere else. But we discovered as we did in Te Aroha that if you stop and explore then there is so much more to offer. As Google Maps has improved what it displays over the years, both Sarah and I find it a great source of being able to see what’s around us, when in a new town. So, it was this time, with the Turangi River Trail showing up on the map. A quick look showed over fifty positive reviews (another important consideration) and some great photos of the trail.

While I had been home accompanying Sarah backwards and forwards between hospital and physio appointments for her broken wrist I had also managed to squeeze in some tramping with our middle son. He is a keen photographer and hiker, and it was a great chance to stay fit and active whilst also spending time some with him. So, I was keen to continue tramping some trails with Sarah although maybe not as challenging as some of the ones I did with my son.

We had both purchased new boots after the wet feet suffered from the hike in Te Aroha and I had broken mine in over summer, but Sarah hadn’t had the chance, so we put a pair of older shoes in our backpack, just in case. Walking through the streets to get to the river trail felt a bit strange in heavy tramping boots but once we reached the trail, I was glad to be wearing them. Although the trail is mostly a gravel pathway there were also long muddy stretches from the recent rains.

The trail follows both sides of the river with a bridge at either end so you can complete a large loop. All up the track is around thirteen kilometres long and an effortless walk. We decided to cross the suspension bridge close to where we joined the track and walk up the far side and then back down the “home” side. One of the many popular activities here other than fishing is rafting down the river and as we crossed the bridge two rafts drifted below. One of the companies that runs the rafting is located close to the NZMCA Park. If you were so inclined it would be a great way to spend a few hours.

The “home” side of the track runs close to the main road so there is a bit of a drone from the traffic but still mostly through bush and an interesting walk. One thing we didn’t do and I would imagine would be of interest to some, was to visit the trout hatchery. This place has a huge carpark with plenty of room for your motorhome if you did want to just stop and have a look on the way somewhere.

Most of the trail follows close to the river and there are numerous areas where a track has been made to give trout fishers access. From the lookout point (the most elevated part of the track) we counted seven people fishing in various spots, although you cannot see them in the photo. Walking down the hill from the lookout takes you to the entrance at the Northern end, off State Highway One. You can then cross the road and continue to follow the river for another kilometre or two before you reach the end of the path. Sadly, private land prevents you from reaching where the river joins Lake Taupo.

It was in this part of the trail that we found this rather interesting chair to sit and watch the river and life go by. As we walked back through the village Sarah’s feet began to feel the effects of new boots and we were thankful that we had taken a spare pair for her. Not the most challenging of trails but one that was certainly worth doing either by walking or you can also cycle. Talking of cycling reminds me that we came across a couple cycling the track and the lady who was unused to riding a bike and had fallen off a couple of times, including just before we met them. So take care out there.

Continuing the theme of falling off bikes. We decided to also explore the village on our bikes finding amongst other things a Granny Smith apple tree laden with fruit at the local cemetery and helped ourselves to a couple of large ones, they made a great apple pie later. Anyway, as we returned to the Park, at the end of the ride, I was just stopping my bike and about to dismount when my phone started ringing. Why I didn’t get off the bike first I will never know but the next minute I was in a heap on the ground with the bike on top of me, still trying to talk on my phone. Nothing other than a sore elbow and hurt pride but such a stupid thing to do.

So, that’s a breif summary of some of the things we did in another small town full of surprises. We recommend that if you are in Turangi explore the area it’s well worth it. I should also mention that the supermarket and shops are an easy stroll from the Park.