Carry on Camping

We checked out of our seaside hotel at 10, ran a few errands in New Plymouth, then drove down the Surf Highway, route 45, a couple of hours from New Plymouth to Opunake.  It’s a little holiday town with a lake, a loop trail, and a nice black sand beach.  Although not too much else.

 

When we arrived we walked the main drag, which was about two and a half blocks long.  Everything was closed.  Not like just one or two stores, but everything.  And it was windy.  Fiercely windy.  It was eerie, exactly like those opening scenes in The Last Picture Show with the dust storm and no one about.  Except of course 1400 people live in Opunake; they had to be somewhere.

 

Eventually we came across an older man sitting on a bench outside his store (the door was open, it was pitch black inside) and he said “planned power outage.  Might not be back on until tonight.”  So it goes.

After a bit of nosing around we came across a café that was actually open, lights on, oven working.  Proprietor told us she was on a different electrical grid.  Seemed like half the town was in there drinking Lemon & Paeroa and eating pies.  We sat next to a man whose name must have been Roy because most of the regulars dropped by his table to say “hi Roy” although Roy didn’t talk too much or even acknowledge half of them.  Might have been the mayor for all I know.

 

So we had a little nosh and following that, for exercise, we did what’s called the Opunake Loop, a meandering path on the city limits that runs through farmland, a creek bed, ocean bluffs and a few residential streets before winding up, you guessed it, wherever you started from.

Now camping: Seems like just yesterday we were in a four-room suite at the Park Hyatt Auckland.  Mid-afternoon we checked into our one night digs, a campground that has a few modulars available.  Some are just a bed or bunkbed, two are two-bedroom and two are one-bedroom self contained units; toilet, sink, the works!  We parked ourselves on the deck and enjoyed the sun, despite the wind, until it was time for dinner.

 

By six the electricity was on.  Three spots were open.  Our dinner choices were a) a pub, which had no windows, and when we stepped inside seemed quiet and a little eerie High Noon style or b) a pub, another pub, which had windows, but was pretty empty or c) a fish and chips slash Chinese food take-away spot which half the town was lined up to use.  We chose take-away.  I got what they sell, fish and chips.  Stephen chose a vegetarian burger “a la carte” off the menu.  I am now going to describe, in detail, the ingredients: On a ciabatta bun, a ring of pineapple, fried egg (fried rice style), melted American cheese, chili sauce, slices of pickled beets, a slice of tomato, a piece of iceberg lettuce.  Yes, so.  Yes, so all vegetarian ingredients.  In a bun.  It was, what can I say that’s complimentary?  It was colourful.

 

After dinner we sat on the deck again, listening to the surf, until the sun slid behind the western bluff and the wind was too fierce to remain outside comfortably.