Day 10 : Where I meet 'real' gypsys

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Whangamomona

Everything out side the van is white with fog when I wake. Can't see much beyond the parameter of the camp site.
I can hear alot of sheep out there somewhere.

The chickens are back, pecking at things hidden in the grass.

Didn't sleep very well due to the 'party animals' banging away all night. It's just me and the Auckland couple parked in the camp is morning.

Drove the second half of the Highway today

More brilliant scenery and fun roads. Stopped at the Mt Damper falls which were bathed in sunlight, casting sheets of rainbow spray.












View Riverside camping in a larger map

Was cruising toward the end point of the Forgotten Highway in Taumarunui, when I spied a sign to a campsite as I was driving past.


View Riverside camping in a larger map

Turns out that it's the DOCs Ohinepane campsite, built on the banks of a crystal clear river, in which a blond Rasta and his blond girl friend are swimming in the river. There are clothes scattered about all over the little beach of stones. I go exploring at the other end of the camp site to give them a bit of privacy.


I discover GREAT facilities for a free camp site. Decent toilets, covered meal prep area, and a rainwater collection system with an oldie worldly hand pump.

A couple of Gypsy wagons drive into the site. Real Gypsies! It turns out that there is a Gypsy fair in town over the weekend and these guys have popped up to this camp site to 'rinse the urban out of their hair'.

After lunch a retired couple roll in in their pristine camper and set up camp.

I've drawn out their position in a diagram below so you can orientate the campers spatially.
Notice how we've all spaced ourselves out around the parameter of the site.
It was getting on to dinner time when the Gypsies broke out a generator and it's 'putt putt' sound was soon spreading out through the site.
Dancing campers

I'm in camper (D) eating dinner when the old lady from camper (C) wanders over and we chat for a bit. Then her husband wanders over and joins the conversation. We talk about travelling and they mention the Gypsies (B) geni grinding away at their end of the site. Also some long-gone users of the site have left a couple of bags of garbage near where the couple have set up camp (it's really pretty unacceptable people leaving trash around at a DOCs site).
Front and center, my feet. Beyond, the river

It wasn't really implicit in anything we said, but eventually we arrived at an understanding, that it would be fine with me if they moved their camper over and joined me at the river bank.

Curious, these minute details of human space and co-habitation which allow us to co-exist so closely packed with each other.

I'm backed onto the river, and I'm going to leave the rear door and the moon roof open tonight and sleep with the sound of the river in my ears.

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