On the banks of the Rangitikei River, under the shadow of a giant cliff face, I discovered an unlikely camping ground, paved pathways edged in river stones and a cafe set among stunning gardens looking out across the river.
When I learned of its family-friendly river rafting, I decided to come back for an adventure with my 8-year-old son.
After all, summer had just begun.
Arriving at Awastone we set up our tent beside the river with an incredible view of the Papa Cliffs, before jumping into our togs.
While we were sipping on smoothies from the licensed cafe, our rafting guide Cam suited us up with life jackets.
We were given waivers to sign, stating that we understood the dangers of the trip and MAC was not responsible for anything that may happen, alarmingly including death or injury (an unlikely scenario but not one that hasn't happened on the river before).
A little unsettling as I looked over at my son, but all adventure has an element of risk, right?
Anyway the website classified the trip as "safe".
So we signed away and headed for the river.
The one-hour rafting trip we opted for was soft pace.
This gave us plenty of time between rapids to set aside our oars and gawk at the giant clay cliffs that felt as though they might slip and fall on us at any second.
We stopped intermittently to jump into the warm river and swim.
It was a great way to cool off before being ungracefully pulled back into the raft like a sack of spuds to continue on.
What a thrill, rafting was far easier than I thought and didn't require much skill, fitness or experience at all.
Down a rapid, I watched my son sitting on the helm of the raft, as he bounced up and down with a huge smile, holding his own as he paddled.
He turned to me smiling and asked: "Mum, can we come here every time?"
We glided peacefully down the river spotting waterfall after waterfall, native birds, a flock of paradise ducks and sheep grazing the riverside.
Down another rapid, we were instructed to start paddling hard.
Water flew through the air and adrenaline kicked in as we all focused on steering the boat through the turbulent waters.
Out the other side, we pulled the oars in and collapsed back into relaxed positions; the boat slowed to a soft glide.
Passing under a second bridge towering far above us, the hour had gone and our adventure was over all too soon.
MAC owner Paul Eames was waiting to load the raft and deliver us back to camp.
It was both a thrilling and relaxing ride, the perfect family adventure.
Back at camp we rinsed off and slipped into Awastone's new cedar hot tub, set privately among native planting.
With tui flying overhead, I may have even fallen slightly asleep as the aroma of cedar wafted and my body pruned in the steaming water.
After showering in the beautiful communal facility, we popped into the cafe for our complimentary hot drinks, sausage rolls and scones.
With a glass of Waihopai Valley Savignon Blanc, I indulged in their Drippy Chicken Burger with a side of chips and gherkins.
Awastone's own garden provided most of the fresh vegetables.
After a riverside campfire and some sticky chocolate s'mores, we headed back to the tent to get ready for bed.
A minor mosquitoes infestation meant we were glad to have brought a bug zapper with us.
My son was more than happy to kill the blood suckers, but the electrocution came with a foul smell of singed hair, so next time I might just take some citronella.
Sleeping under the stars is something every parent should do with their children.
In Mangaweka the night sky was crystal clear, allowing millions of sparkling stars to put on a full show.
We drifted off to sleep to the sound of the river.
In the morning we cooked our own breakfast in the communal kitchen, which felt like home.
There was a gorgeous painting of Papa Cliffs on the wall, a large dining table and everything else you might need, even a small lounge with a TV.
This was the nicest campsite kitchen facility I had seen.
Awastone is truly a comfortable camping experience that showcases beautifully one of New Zealand's longest rivers, the mighty Rangitikei.
The Managweka section of river was immortalised in the The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring as the The Gates of Argonath.
It's unique to this part of New Zealand, and I had never seen such sheer vertical clay cliffs or deep canyons, other than in that movie.
The river provided the perfect setting for adventure to ignite the imagination.
