We've talked about it for ages. I've always said "No way!. No bathroom attached, I'm not going." But with Robert's "challenge" and a reasonable "compromise", we did it and it was an awesome experience - camping at the Discovery Lodge in the National Park, Whakapapa (pronounced fa-ke-papa).
Our tents were modest compared to some flash ones lined up beside ours - but still we were kept safe and warm and that's what mattered in the end.......
We went prepared with the necessities - like the lamp & mozzie repellants, as well as comfy pillows and polar fleece blankets.
In winter, the mountains in the backdrop is a ski field, the largest one in the North Island of NZ. With the summer sun, and the particularly hot summer we've had, you can only streaks of ice....
Just at the foothill of the mountains is The Chateau (with the green roof). It's one of those grand old dames - like the Raffles Hotel in S'pore - apparently owned by a S'porean (probably Ong Beng Seng or the Kwek family - I must find out). Robert's parents spent their honeymoon there too (information provided by Joan)
Bath tubs were once made of kauri......
We lunched there then went a little tour of the island. Pompallier Mission, NZ's oldest surviving Roman Catholic building was one of the stops. 
It was originally used as the headquarters of the Catholic mission to Western Oceania. The building is built of rammed earth within a kauri framework. The part of the building we visited was the printery, tannery and storehouse for the Marist mission of Bishop Pompallier. 
The visit was most interesting for Tim since Bishop Pompallier is often mentioned in school, and the ship on which Bishop Pompallier sailed on appears on his school badge.
