Horahora Domain

We only stayed at Horahora Domain one night—hence why we did not even unhitch. But it's such a beautiful spot—and free! Another one to add to the "I'll be back" list!

Horahora Domain is just off State Highway 1, right beside Lake Karapiro. About 18kms from Cambridge (towards Hamilton), turn off onto Maungataurari Road. Horahora Domain is situated about 2km down this road on your left.

There's plenty of space for campers of any size, and it's a great place for a picnic. There's a boat ramp and it's a popular spot for water sports. While we were there, there was a wakeboarder entertaining us.

There are public toilets and rubbish bins, but you must be certified self-contained to be able to stay overnight.

Although online it says no dogs allowed, the signs here say they are okay on leads. Lucy was told she was not allowed outside . . . see her poking her head out? She often sits on the top step with her feet down on the next step.

There were a couple of other campers there at the same time as us, but there was plenty of space.

As for the bird life, Mr & Mrs Swan kept their babies at quite a distance, so it was a challenge to get sharp photos of them. They had four young ones (cygnets)—more than just these two—but they were quite spread out. So I settled for a shot of just a couple of them with their parents.

Then, just before the light disappeared, this white-faced heron arrived.