One of the nice things about small towns dotted around the Waikato is the ambience of some of the old character buildings and Te Aroha is one of those towns.

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Along with its famous Hot Pools, sculptures on street corners, and nice old buildings, it also now has its very own NZMCA park. The best way to describe it is “long and skinny”, but it also backs on to a track that takes you straight into the town in minutes.

I was last here a few years ago at a rally next door to the park and it was a lot of fun. There was Kayaking down the river, the bike trails were busy, and the cafes did a roaring trade. Here’s a look back at that event here.

It’s a neat wee town and perfect for the bike trails up and into the Karangahake Gorge.