The campsite suited us just fine. Its facilities were the gentle friendly animals, the secluded and beautiful location and the feeling of involvement of the owner, always around and tending the property and animals. We never did learn his name but he was an interesting man who had put together the site, with help, from its outset and made it as pleasant as he could for everyone. I guess he knew what he would like in the way of comfort and enjoyment and provided it for us. In the deep ravine by the campground was a little crinkly tin shed standing by a leat diversion in the raging stream. We suspected that he had installed a hydro electric plant there to heat the camp water or at least to take water out and pump it into the camp’s wash water system. When I drew a bath in the lodge bathroom the water was clearly heated river water and very enjoyable to soak in too.

 

We often enjoyed the work of people such as him in the form of the camp sites they have created. After an interesting, well paid and perhaps dangerous past work history these folk come to a time in life where they have to decide what to do from then on. Some buy pubs and hotels, others may become invisible writers while others may turn to drink. We liked these campsites more than say the Top 10 ones because the latter are often run by people on salaries who appear to do as little as they can for their pay and have played no part in the creative history of the place.

 

In the New Zealand Government’s rush to encourage tourism to its shores many more camp companies have started up aimed in particular at families, this has affected the older more personal camps and what has suffered most is the antiquated plumbing systems that need replacing. I only hope they survive because they are the nicest places to stay.