It was going to be a day when cloud obscured views from North Egmont, but still nine members took the opportunity for an outing to visit the Camphouse and the Visitor Centre.

The Camphouse is now a hostel, but in its former life was part of an encampment situated on Marsland Hill in New Plymouth where it housed troops during the Taranaki Land Wars. There were several of these prefabricated buildings which served their purpose well at that time and were later used to house new immigrants to New Plymouth. The walls were clad with a heavy grade hand rolled corrugated iron and there were rooms for sleeping and a large central hall.

 Having peered through windows into the interior and taken stock of the rain and mist rolling in, we  descended to the Visitors’ Centre where we spent time viewing exhibits of the geology of the mountain, the history and plants and animals and further display explained the necessity of dropping 1080 to control pests.

After our lessons, we adjourned to the café for a friendly lunch before heading homeward.