It seemed almost too good to be true. We parked outside Torere School, right alongside the magnificent carved gateway; lit the gas stove, filled the kettle and made a nice cup of Lady Grey tea; got out the biscuits, sat down at the table and had a pleasant morning tea, enjoying the spectacular views of White Island and the Bay of Plenty on one side and the school with its carvings on the other.
If it had been a nicer day we could have put up a table and chairs outside. But it was cold and the wind was getting up so we lunched inside where - thanks to the heater - it was comfortably cosy.
Afterwards we washed up, used the toilet - okay, you didn't want to know that, but finding somewhere to go can be a big deal when you're on the road - read the paper, checked out the guide book and, when the time felt right, headed off along the East Cape leg of the Pacific Coast Highway. Fantastic.
If we'd wished, we probably could have spent the night at Torere. But we opted instead to stay at Tirohanga Beach Motor Camp, where we had 6km of magnificent unspoiled beach pretty much to ourselves. And we could plug into the mains supply and - the height of decadence - watch television, play our CDs, chill the wine in the fridge, cook the veges in the microwave and grill sausages on the camp barbecue.
It's that sort of experience that is responsible for the boom in motorhomes and caravans: they offer a seductive mixture of freedom and convenience, wilderness and luxury, that more and more Kiwis are turning to.
