29/1/10

Today was to be a lazy day. We had been told by Liz and by Fran that Lake Karapiro was lovely and only about a twenty minute drive so we resolved to go there. Fran said that about halfway down at some place we couldn't quite remember was best and Liz had said there were some good walks and if we went to the local information office in Cambridge they would have maps of the paths and trails. Up at 6.30am feeling really ill after an awful night of coughing, sniffling and sickness. Took this view of the full moon out of my bedroom window, its right in the centre just above the hill. Took a cold and flu powder before anything else. Decided to do a wash after breakfast. Mum got the instruction book out, deciphered it and the only thing we didn't know was if the water was turned on to the machine. Nipped next door to consult Liz and Jim. Yes it was- all set to go. Cycle only took 45 mins. Why isn't my washer as good as that? We put the clothes outside on a maiden, already made sandwiches and off we went.
First of all to Cambridge to get a map and some info. Found the tourist information centre entirely by accident. Picked up a load of bumf but couldn't see anything about Karapiro so asked the lady on the desk. She said there are no trails or walks on the lake. People keep assuming there is and asking for maps, but there are none.In the future a trail will run from Taupo to Karapiro but at present it does not exist. We went anyway.
Not being able to remember where Fran had said, we guessed, but the place we tried had no walks, just a jetty for boat launching and a loo and a carpark, so that didn't appear to fit the bill. We returned to the main road and went back up to the turn off for Karapiro village. We drove through the village to the lake shore where we parked. Left the car and across the lake we could see a regatta that had been mentioned to us. We were also looking for a place that did boat trips, because we wanted to go on the afternoon cruise we'd seen advertized on a flyer from the tourist info. The carpark was adjacent to the dam at the head of the lake, so rather than take the car we walked over the dam. It was a bit scary because it was so narrow. The cars were traffic light controlled and because of the width of the dam only one way went at once, which meant we could walk in the road at times, just as well because there was no footpath.
It was about a quarter mile to the regatta from the car, but when we got there it was still setting up. Lots of schools were competing and we had to duck and dive as we went to avoid the boats being carried by the young people. We returned to the car along the water's edge, watching a coxed seven practising as we walked. There was nowhere here for a bigger boat to launch from so we phoned the company advertising when we got back to the car, to find out whereabout we needed to be, and found out the boat wasn't even running. And she was snotty about it too.
It was 11.30 and I needed more paracetamol, so we decided to have lunch, but couldn't find anywhere to sit for our picnic. The only table was under a low hanging oak tree and had a lot of lichen and bird droppings on it. So we went on over the dam, in the car this time, and down the other side of the lake on Maungatautauri road. We had been driving for about fifteen to twenty minutes when we saw a sign for Hora Hora and we both recollected that it was there Francis had said was worth a visit. We turned left at the school, admiring the weird scenery as we travelled and ten minutes later we were at Hora Hora bridge. There was a place to pull off the road on the right by the lake shore where we had our picnic. No tables. We sat on the grass in the shade of a tree and got damp bottoms. The view was lovely & we were entertained by the beginner water skiers. Came back to Cambridge over the Hora Hora bridge, most unusual. A concrete bridge but unpaved.

Back here for 2.30ish. Had a lazy afternoon watching the birds in the garden- here are two spur- winged plover.  Liz says people shoot them even tho' they are protected, because they are noisy. Philistines!
We had been invited for tea by Diane, so we went over to Kingsley road about five o'clock. A truly lovely meal with a choice of two main courses. I had the Mediterranean Pie, which was spinach, pine nuts and feta in a pastry case, there was also a chicken curry. There were boiled potatoes, buttered and with parsley or rice and courgette fried with onion & baked with cheese, and garlic and cheese bread. We had a couple of drinks and came back about nine pm. Still full of cold. More paracetamol and off to bed.