The Arapuni Swing Bridge

We departed from the very friendly Juno Hall Backpackers on Friday morning and headed for the Mi Camp Adventure facility at Whakamaru, where we would stay overnight. The Mi Camp is a Christian Services enterprise situated in an idyllic lake setting where men and boys learn teamwork through activities such as horseriding,  kayaking, abseiling and such. On the way we stopped at Arapuni Village to have a look at the Arapuni Swing Bridge. It was a joy to walk across this 152 metre bridge,  which spans across a deep gorge and is suspended by two huge self lubricating steel cables. The bridge leads to the 1929 Arapuni Power Station on the other side, which is also of great historical interest. From the Swing Bridge there is a pleasant 6 kilometre bush walk alongside the Waikato River, which we did before continuing on our way to Whakamaru.