In Hamilton

Today was a good confidence booster.  The trip from Taupo to Tokoroa was mainly uphill, but a long and gradual rise.  We started out with 100% battery and arrived with 40%.  As Putaruru was only 25km down the road, we decided to push on and charge there.  The 88km, by GPS and road signs, took just over an hour, so we were doing good speeds even with the hills.  What was interesting is that the van’s speedometer registered only 77km.  We will have to check that on the way home tomorrow.

In Putaruru, it was very overcast with rain threatening.  We had brunch at the Wooden Farmer, on the north of town.  Be warned, do not order the Farmers Breakfast unless you plan for it to be the only meal of the day.  Luckily we didn’t have that, and still ate more than we should have done.  Jim found out, too late, that the Farmers Breakfast was the Sunday special at $15 per head.  No wonder the place was always busy while we were there.

It had really started to rain by the time we left the Putaruru camp ground and it was wipers and headlights on from there.  The road to Cambridge was busy but okay and we easily found the fast charger.  In fact it’s right beside the toilets but we didn’t find that out until we were walking back.  We had another coffee and within 20 minutes we received a text to say that we were charged to 80% battery. Not bad from 30%.

From Cambridge to the Hamilton caravan park, it was extremely busy and we belted along at over 100kph on the expressway.  (It’s one of the few roads in NZ that is speed limited at 110kph.)

At the caravan park we upgraded to a cabin so that we don’t have to take everything out into pouring rain.  It’s cosy and pleasant.

 This is probably a volcano core, like the Devil's Monument that we saw in the USA

The artists have been busy in Putaruru