The Travels of Gypsy Rover

Roaming once more.

2012-01-25T22:11:00.000+14:00

After our week-end away it was time to head back to the Hutt Valley where appointments were made with our Chiropractor and I had a special meeting to attend at the Petone Club. I had applied for membership and had been accepted and Tuesday night was to be the mass induction of about 100 new members.

The meeting was hosted by the Club President who outlined the club rules and introduced the various members responsible for running various adjuncts within the club. Dancing, Darts, Snooker, Billiards, Soccer, Rugby, Indoor and Outdoor Bowls, Golf, Diving and Cards are all on offer but my interest when we finally cease roaming was fishing. The club owns a bach or lodge in Makara where fisherman can rent it for a week-end. It comes fully equipped with boat, nets and other paraphernalia.

The club which was started in 1878 also boasts the largest private library in the country which came about from early days when members wanted to improve the education of their families. After presentation of membership cards there was an ample supply of supper and drinks for the new members to savour whilst chatting with other members, new and old.

Ngatitoa on a beautiful day, view from Gypsy Rover’s window.

Wednesday morning and it was time to hit the road once more. This time via Porirua to visit my mother. As it was such a lovely day we decided to give Ngatitoa Domain another try. Last time we were here it was extremely windy and not a pleasant stay. Time will tell. Arriving on site we found 4 other motorhomes and a caravan already in residence with another 3 arriving later.

4zzzz's at Ngatitoa Domain 9 Motorhomes and 1 caravan

Anniversary Week-end.

2012-01-23T22:10:00.000+14:00

Last week-end (21st – 23rd Jan) was Wellington Anniversary and we trotted off over the Rimutaka Hill to Opaki which is just North of Masterton. The reason for this was the Caravan & Camping NZ’s regional rally being held by the Wairarapa club.

Stop for lunch at Henley Lake in Masterton

The venue was the Opaki school which in association with the Miki Miki school date back to 1878. The latter was closed in 2003 and amalgamated with Opaki. The school was suitably equipped with a shower each for the men and ladies and adequate toilet blocks. The school hall was utilised during the evenings and only once had to be used on Sunday afternoon due to inclement weather. The remainder of our time was spent outside in the glorious sunshine.

Popular place for lunch with several other vans in attendance

Black and white swans together.

The week-end passed only too quickly with games, quizzes, raffles, a blind auction where bids were placed on unknown objects and plenty of socialising with friends not seen very often. For those people so disposed, visits to the local wineries were arranged to taste the local fare and purchase some for later consumption. All in all a fun week-end.

Peter and Elaine checking out another erection, we were trying out our new awning tie down strap.

Yep that looks right!

The next Regional rally will be in 2014 and our club (Heretaunga) is the host so we will have to get our thinking caps on for a venue and organise some entertainment for the week-end.

Happy 21st Birthday John

2012-01-21T13:15:00.000+14:00

Geez, I’m Knackered.

2012-01-17T19:23:00.000+14:00

I have been busy catching up on many small chores at Kathryn's house and have made a start on repainting window cills. On Saturday I took a break and Dot and I went up to our own house to swap some gear over in the lock up. I also wanted to find the remainder of my fishing equipment of which there is plenty.

A friendly Tui in our Flax bushes looking for nectar in the flowers.

While there Eagle eye’s Dot spotted a rotted barge board on the back corner of the garage. Later that day I sorted out a piece from the wood store left by Graeme. On Monday I went back to the house toolbox in hand to make a start. Taking the barge board down it was found that the weather board moulding was also passed it’s best so that was going to need replacing. Upon checking the remaining barge board it was also found to have some rot at the bottom so while I was at it I decided to replace the whole lot.

Derek preparing to replace the corner barge board.

We had to fit a wider board to cover some of the damage to the weather boards.

This meant a trip to Bunning's in Naenae for 3 lengths of timber and other bit’s and bob’s to complete the job. I managed to get all the boards up and a coat of undercoat on Monday. Today we went back with the intention of putting on a couple of top coats. This was completed and between coats I went down the bank at the rear of the house to cut down some Gorse bushes. Now as we all know that in the UK Gorse isn’t too much of a problem as cold weather keeps it under control. Here it’s a different story with very healthy growth’s of over 6 feet high and nearly as much circumference. Luckily it hasn’t started to flower yet.

Two boards up now comes the weatherboard moulding which has to be cut by hand.

I spent the best part of an hour cutting out half a dozen bushes and chopping it up small to slide beneath the healthy top growth of native bush. Long may it rot. Once the painting was finished I cleaned one brush out in Turpentine and then poured this over the root stumps to hopefully kill off any further regrowth.

The offending Gorse in the centre of the picture.

Now you see it, now you don't. Farewell Gorse.

Electrical modifications.

2012-01-11T23:00:00.000+14:00

Today fellow caravan club member,Don, took time out to come and help me modify the electrical wiring between the batteries and control board. The original wiring was to suit the English and European scene where freedom camping is banned and campers use motor camps with mains power on tap. This cabling was too light and not getting sufficient power from the charger and solar panel through to the batteries. Due to the lightness of the cables the batteries have never been fully charged and the power levels soon dropped rapidly.

Electrical modifications between the batteries and control board.

After a shopping trip for new 10mm cable and battery fittings we set about running the cable down from the control panel down to the battery box. A couple of extra holes had to be drilled to get the cable into the battery box in the shortest route. At the control board we had to utilise the original connectors as there was no way the thicker cable could be fitted to suitable connectors. A short length of the old cable and connectors had to be retained but this shouldn’t cause any problems.

Don fitting new battery terminals.

After testing the system with the volt meter to ensure everything was doing what it’s supposed to do, it was time to reconnect everything. Success and the readings coming from the LCD display panel are encouraging. It may take a day or two for everything to settle down and then we will see how things look then.

The new cables from the batteries. Unfortunately we had to retain the original board connections.

Back to Stokes Valley but not home.

2012-01-09T22:14:00.000+14:00

Thursday morning and it was our turn to break camp and head back over the Rimutaka Hill road to the Hutt Valley. Our destination was to be a fellow caravan club members property about 2km away from our own home in Stokes Valley.

We hadn’t been to Kathryn’s house with the motorhome and we were unsure as to how well we would fit on the driveway. Gingerly reversing onto the driveway it turned out to be easier than anticipated until I got close to a low wall. Here it was a case of inching back and checking the clearance before inching back a bit further. Kathryn then pointed me in the direction of a pair of solid looking ramps which when applied to the right rear wheels lifted me sufficiently to clear the wall and surprisingly level the motorhome to as near as damn it.

Gypsy Rover and Dot's Nissan at Kathryn's in Stokes Valley.

On Saturday morning after leaving Carterton there was a terrible ballooning accident very close to our camp with the loss of 11 lives and the town is now in mourning. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families who lost loved ones in this tragedy.

www.dailynewsme.com

Our main objective for being here is to finish off some small jobs left incomplete when Kathryn’s partner Graeme passed away suddenly a few months ago. Painting, carpentry and wallpapering are the order of the day with other odd jobs thrown in for good measure.

Derek and Robin on BBQ's with a little assistance from Peter. Geoff just look's pensive.

Sunday afternoon we had the caravan club around for a BBQ which went very well. Unfortunately fellow members Don and Pamela couldn’t attend as they were away in Hastings visiting a seriously ill friend.We hope to catch up with them later in the week when they return.

The girls awaiting the BBQ at Kathryn's.

Off the beaten track.

2012-01-03T21:08:00.000+14:00

This morning we said farewell to our camping neighbours as they broke camp to head home to Wanganui. They were a well organised group and had everything packed away with military precision. Unlike us they are still part of the country’s work force and were due back at work tomorrow. Until we meet again dear friend's.

Other than a walk into town for a spot of shopping it was a pretty quiet morning. After lunch Robin suggested a trip up Mount Dick which he had learnt about. As Pamela wasn’t feeling up to it all 5 of us piled into Robin’s 4X4 and set off. It transpired that Pamela remaining behind was a wise decision as the tail end of the trip up the mountain was on a pretty rugged dirt road which was quite bumpy and wouldn’t have been very good for her neck.

When early settlers discovered the Wairarapa this would have all been covered in bush.The gang at the Mt Dick lookout shelter, from the left Robin, Don, Derek, Dot and Jenny.Compass guide of the view from Mt Dick.

Once at the top the view was spectacular from Featherston 17km to the South to Masterton 18km to the North.To the East of Featherston was Lake Wairarapa 28km away. We were apparently on Sayers Trig 580m above sea level. 14km behind us was Mt Holdsworth at 1470m. The journey had certainly been worthwhile. There had been a sign with a map and information about the area but some moron had used it for target practice with a rifle and a shot gun and blown it to pieces.

Manuka bush where the very expensive Manuka Honey is derived.Foxgloves on Mt Dick. Hello down here.

How Many Countries?

2012-01-03T09:54:00.000+14:00

Looking at our stats we have just had over 100,000 visitors from 153 countries since December 2008 – Amazing! Thank you all for visiting our blog there are much more of our travels to come.

Wally Award of the Day.

2012-01-02T20:57:00.000+14:00

Our happy camper neighbours from Wanganui have some club rules, some funny, some serious. A serious rule is that under wet weather conditions they are not allowed to abandon their tents in favour of a nice warm, dry cabin or motel. That is automatic exclusion from the group. On the funny side is a trophy for “Wally of the Day”. Yesterday this was awarded to Dot for setting off the motorhome alarm not once but twice last evening around 9.30pm.

‘Wally of the Day’ award

The weather today has been an improvement until mid afternoon when the temperature started to drop and a few light showers arrived. While it was dry this morning Don came over and had a look at our electrical system which, although greatly improved is still not right. His conclusion, which confirmed our thoughts on the matter is that the electrical wiring between the batteries, solar panel, charger and master control panel is too light and needs heavier gauge wire. This is causing the batteries to not getting a full charge and not holding their charge long enough. We have made an arrangement for Don to help us modify the system next week.

The problem stems from the fact that freedom camping in the UK and Europe is banned or frowned upon and manufacturers build the motorhomes accordingly. Therefore campers are always in camps with mains power available and heavier wiring is therefore not necessary. Don has already modified another friends European motorhome for exactly the same problem.

The Rare White Kiwi’s!

2012-01-01T21:26:00.000+14:00

After a quiet New Years Eve with Robin, Jenny, Pam and Don, (must be showing our age) it was decided as the rain we have been enduring over the past 2 days had finally eased we would make a trip up to Pukaha, Mt Bruce. Pukaha is the National Wildlife Centre where endangered native New Zealand bird species are hopefully being bought back from near extinction.

One of the two rare white kiwis at Pukaha, Mt Bruce's National Wildlife Centre is only 15 days old.

Closeup of a prehistoric Tuatara

The main attraction is actually 2 rare white Kiwi’s which have been born at the centre. The first was hatched in May and the second was just fifteen days ago. Being white they wouldn’t stand a chance in the wild as they have no camouflage. Eggs laid in the bush are bought into the centre where they are hatched in incubators and raised by hand until they are big enough to be released.

These Kaka's are large forest parrots and are endangered.

These Kaka's are quite comical and were dive bombing us from above.

Thirty Kiwi’s were caught on Little Barrier island which is a predator free Island. They were bought back to Mt Bruce and released into the reserve to increase the numbers of birds in the breeding programme. With 2 white birds hatched so close together the rangers feel that one of the introduced males is responsible as reports of a white Kiwi back on Little Barrier had been noted.

Eel's and Rainbow Trout at Mount Bruce congregating for feed time.

The Hard to spot Kakariki amongst the leaves is at risk of extinction also.

Besides the Kiwi’s are endangered Stitchbird (Hihi), Kaka, and Tuatara which is a prehistoric ancient creature found only on predator free islands run by the Deptartment of Conservation. Another flightless bird which is on the critical list is the Takahe which was thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered in 1948. With less than 250 birds they are high on the conservation list. The parrot like Kokako is listed as vulnerable so steps are already in place to help the beautiful birds.

Colin at the controls of Middleton Railway, Masterton.

Freight yard at Middleton Railway, Masterton.

After a very enjoyable visit the guys headed off to Middleton Railway and Cwmglyn cheese factory while the girls headed back to camp. The railway is a very large “00” gauge layout the pride and joy of Colin Fraser-Davies. Based on British outline depicting era’s of steam, diesel and electric it is open to the public while his wife operates a cottage cheese factory from half a dozen Jersey cows. We all tried the cheese and Robin and I bought some for Dot and Jenny to try.

Miniature version of Shipley Railway station UK at Middleton Railway, Masterton.

Is this boater down the weed hatch or sun bathing?

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T00:59:00.000+14:00

The big one got away. Yeah Right!

2011-12-27T22:28:00.000-10:00

Christmas day and Boxing day passed very quietly for us with son Brent being our only visitor on Christmas day. With temperatures up in the high twenties and possibly low thirties it was no time for traditional Xmas fare. Instead it was BBQ’s and salad’s with most meals held under Robin’s gazebo away from the hot sun.

Christmas dinner Kiwi style

Yesterday being a statutory holiday in lieu of Boxing Day we drove up to Masterton to have a look at the Boxing Day sales. Dot came away with a pair of short’s and some new swimwear to use in any hot pools we come across on our travels. I have now got a surf casting rod, reel and sundries for $91 which was a lot less than I was expecting to pay.

The path from the beach up to the Castle Point lighthouse.

Looking back over Castle Point beach.

We were also joined in camp by fellow caravan club members Don and Pamela. Pamela has been laid low lately after a serious bone graft operation to her neck but is now on the mend and able to get around more.

Rugged rocks.

How did those rock formations get there?

Today, Wednesday, we all packed a picnic lunch and headed off to Castle Point about an hour and a quarters drive from camp. It was also a good opportunity to try out my new fishing gear. With golden sandy beaches this part of the Wairarapa coastline is a well kept secret.

Castle Point lighthouse.

With a rock protected lagoon that gets refreshed every tide this is a great picnic and swimming hole for kids. I joined about 10 other fishermen on the rocks between the the lagoon and the open sea. Even though it was a relatively calm day there was still a strong swell coming in towards the rocks sometimes over a metre high. It was a case of keeping a close watch on the in coming tide and knowing when to vacate the area.

Castle Point is the only place in the world where this rare Daisy is found.

With no harbour or safe anchorages for the local fishing boats they had built some monstrous machines to cradle their boats and be able to relaunch them. With driving cabs and engines perched high up on the framework these machines with hydraulic power to all wheels and steering could get into some seriously deep water before getting the boats afloat.

Monstrous trailers carrying local fishing boats.

Castle Point's rock formation protecting the beach and lagoon.

While I was fishing the rest of the group walked up the newly rebuilt path to the Castle Point lighthouse for a look around. Upon their return I withdrew from the fishing leaving the fish for others to catch. The only fish caught by others were a Stingray, which got off on the rocks and a Red Gurnard of edible proportions.

Derek fishing from the rocks at Castle Point.

View point from above the Castle Point lighthouse looking back at the lagoon and boat storage area.

Merry Christmas Everyone

2011-12-24T12:10:00.000-10:00

Last stop until 2012.

2011-12-22T22:35:00.000-10:00

Carterton.

We had another peaceful night at Alfredton Domain so this site gets a big tick for ‘our visit again sometime book’. It would be great for a club rally with two or three other couples to make it rather more interesting.

We were on the road by 9am so that we would get to Masterton hopefully before all the last minute shoppers hit the supermarket. Unfortunately, today we got slowed down by 2 mobs of sheep being driven along the road from paddock to paddock. One mob couldn’t decide which way they were supposed to be going and kept changing direction, stupid animals!

Silly sheep didn't know which way they were supposed to be going.

Utter confusion with this mob of sheep.

After fuelling up the motorhome with 61 litre’s of diesel and saving $15 with a 25c/litre off supermarket voucher it was a good start to the day.The supermarket wasn’t as busy as we had expected which was another plus although we did spend a bundle, mostly to see us through Xmas.

Peter at Carterton Motor Camp trimming the tree's on our site. How thoughtful.

Arriving at Carterton motor camp we found friends Robin and Jenny had arrived just 5 minutes ahead of us. After lunch we spent the afternoon getting ourselves organised and settled in for the next 2 weeks. One job we had been putting off for weeks was opening the awning canopy. This went well but we will still need to buy a 14 metre tie down strap as added protection in case of strong winds.

The first full unveiling of the awning.

Success. Now fully extended for the first time.

Christening the BBQ. A day of firsts.

An interesting safari.

2011-12-21T16:49:00.000-10:00

Alfredton.

After a very peaceful night alongside the Mangatainoka river it was time to move on. We had several options of which route to take to get to our next stop over. The route we chose was the Pahiatua – Pongoroa road halfway between Mangatainoka and Pahiatua.

A turf roof spotted on the Pahiatua - Pongoroa Road

Funny place for an armchair. Note the steps up to it.

The scenery was spectacular as we climbed up over the Puketoi Ranges passing through the Makuri Gorge scenic reserve and the Puketoi Conservation area. The only down side was two ignorant truck drivers who had no idea what slow down means. They were both towing trailers and felt that it was their God given right to charge on flat out forcing me off the road to avoid a collision.

Views along the Pahiatua - Pongoroa Road. Quite a high elevation.

Cute little school bus shelter at the farm gate.

Once we reached Pongaroa we turned onto SH52 which we assumed would be a better road. Wrong! For much of it’s length the road was narrower than the road we had just travelled over and with no road markings except in a few places where road improvements had taken place. Still we were in no hurry so we just took it quietly and thankfully didn’t meet any more trucks except one when we were all stopped by a farmer moving a mob of lambs across the road.

Held up by a mob of lambs being moved.

I don't think this phone box is operational!

We arrived at Alfredton Domain in time for lunch in glorious sunshine which is good for the solar panel and the batteries. The only facilities here are toilets and water.

Alfredton founded 1873.

Alfredton Domain all on our lonesome.

Tuiwood akaTui Breweries

2011-12-20T19:09:00.000-10:00

Now at Mangatainoka

Tuiwood, Mangatainoka aka Tui Breweries.

Our stay at the Dannevirke Golf Club was very peaceful and despite the ablutions block being fairly rudimentary we did have nice showers. Dot had to use the men’s showers as the ladies was locked despite being told otherwise but as we were the only campers there it was no problem.

Gypsy Rover under the TUIWOOD sign on the hillside opposite the brewery.

This morning we went into Dannevirke to get a few groceries and pay Kiwibank a visit to deposit a cheque. We had received the cheque from the English Insurance company who had originally insured the motorhome. We cancelled the policy once the motorhome had been covered by the marine insurance for the shipment to New Zealand as it is illegal to have more than one policy active at any one time. The refund was supposed to have been paid back into the credit card account from which it had been paid but some nincompoop had other idea’s. Gee’s Wayne!

Tui Breweries landmark tower.

I wouldn't want by beer dispensed this way.

After lunch we cruised down to Tui Breweries where we were of the understanding that we could overnight in their yard. Upon arrival we spoke to a lady in the shop who agreed that we could stay but suggested somewhere much nicer. Just before the bridge over the river outside the brewery is a lane which leads to a picnic area on the river bank. There is a gate which advises that cattle may be grazing there so please close the gate behind you. However today there were no cattle and we are far enough away from the road not to be annoyed by traffic noise. What a beauty.

A bit tongue in cheek. Typical Tui humour.

We did sample the wares at the brewery and receive our official Tui beer mug for me and Tui coffee mug for Dot before leaving but opted not to take the guided tour which is now $20 a head. We had done the tour on a previous visit many moons ago.

This beautiful native New Zealand bird is where the brand name comes from.

Back on the road again.

2011-12-18T19:12:00.000-10:00

Makotuku Domain.

We have now finished our term of office as Caretakers at NZMCA Takapau and have thoroughly enjoyed it. We had visitors every day peaking at 6 in one night.This last 2 days have been quite chilly so we have all congregated in the hall in the evenings in front of a lovely warm fire.Last night we gave our guests a slide show of our time aboard Narrowboat “Gypsy Rover” which they all enjoyed.

We are now going to take a leisurely trip down to Carterton over the next four days with our first stop being somewhere friends Robin and Jenny recommended, Makotuku Domain. On the way we stopped at Ormondville railway station. This sleepy little hollow was once a busy railway junction.

No Vacancy but all the old workers huts were empty.

Not many station buildings like this around any more.

When the railway first arrived in 1887 the prime freight was Rimu and Totara timber as this area was all forest. As the forestry diminished farming took over on the cleared land and the railway became even busier with live stock, wool, milk, fertiliser and of course meat from the freezing works for export. At it’s peak in the 1950’s there were 22 trains a day through the town and railway families made up a large percentage of the towns population. These days with containerisation there are probably no more than 3 or 4 trains a day between inland Palmerston North and the Port of Napier, none of which stop here any more.

One of several viaducts on the Palmerston North to Napier railway.

Makotuku viaduct.

There is a preservation group working out of the old goods shed which was all locked up and the goods sidings but there were only goods wagons on show outside. You can go and stay at the station in one of the old railway workers huts but we didn’t consider them very cheap at $75 per night for a single and $105 for a double, all self cater. They might get more customers if they dropped their prices.

All set up at Makotuku Domain.

We actually missed the Domain when we first passed through Makotuku but after a lunch stop we back tracked and found it. The grandstand, a reminder of days gone by when every small town had a social Rugby and Cricket team and the sports ground was a major centre for social activities. Television was the death knell of most of these places as the goal posts and the well manicured cricket grounds have all disappeared. The majority of the grounds here are knee deep in clover and grass which I suspect will get cut for hay some time soon.

A couple of our neighbours at Makotuku Domain.

Can I have one of those?

2011-12-17T20:48:00.000-10:00

NZMCA clock at Takapau presented to them by the Wellington Branch of the NZMCA on the opening of the park in 2005 .

Latitude 40 South

2011-12-15T20:44:00.000-10:00

Waipukurau's claim to fame being the only town on the 40deg South parallel line.

How we miss the internet?

2011-12-14T13:43:00.000-10:00

A nice sheltered spot at Takapau NZMCA Camp.

A trip into Waipukerau again to access the internet, must do something about this Vodafone and look at Telecom. Not much good with our monthly contract if I can’t use it, especially with our extended travel down south in the new year. Now how do I cancel the contract legally without penalty?

Our thoughts are with all the people affected with the unseasonably heavy rainfall throughout the country, we have been lucky here. So far that is!

Interesting visitors.

2011-12-10T19:18:00.000-10:00

Other than calling in the mower man to cut the grass on site it’s been a case of same old, same old. However last night a real Gypsy style wooden bodied motorhome pulled into camp which immediately bought to mind hippies with waist length dread locks. How wrong we were, because we were about to meet world class chef Michael Daly, his wife Louelle and their 2 sons. Michael, who hails from Ireland, has just completed a book on freedom food recipes using ingredients that can be found in the wild and safely eaten. This should be on book sellers shelves in April.

They have opted to take 2 years out of their normally busy lifestyle to travel New Zealand in a motorhome before deciding on what’s next in life. After showing them pictures of our adventures aboard Narrowboat Gypsy Rover I’m guessing that a narrowboat adventure of their own could well be on the cards. Well you have to live the dream. Good luck guys.

Never a dull moment here.

2011-12-07T19:43:00.000-10:00

Just as well you can't see the gateway. It's even narrower.

We have had an interesting couple of days here at the NZMCA camp. I have been giving the toilet block a thorough Spring clean as previous wardens obviously have not had the cleaning expertise required. All the necessary chemicals are available but it’s a case of knowing which one to use for each task.

Mind the water trough.

Today we had something quite different in the form of a 20 foot empty container being delivered. Being an empty container I expected it to arrive on a small truck normally used for this purpose but no Mainfreight sent it on one of their the biggest rig’s capable of carrying 2 x 20 foot containers or 1 x 40 footer.

So far, so good.

Luckily the driver was up to the job because we only had centimetre's to spare negotiating along a fence line with a water trough just in the wrong place. Of course we couldn’t shift the trough but the driver manoeuvred within a few centimetre’s giving him just enough room to offload the container exactly where we wanted it.

Final touch down with just a little juggling of the chains.

We have had 2 visitors each day so far and tonight a late arrival made it 3 for today. She had just driven down from north of Gisborne where she had been freedom camping. She was looking forward to a long shower and a good nights sleep.

A mega truck for a miniscule task.

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-12-06T20:46:00.001-10:00

Thanks to all the kind messages from friends that I am unable to reply to.

We’re in charge.

2011-12-05T22:55:00.001-10:00

We certainly had a busy week-end at Jenny and Robin’s home. Friday and Saturday were both 10 hour days taking advantage of the long days and good weather due to the long range forecast for Sunday being unfavourable for painting. As it turned out, it rained in Wellington but stayed away from Upper Hutt giving Robin and I another opportunity for further painting. By the time we knocked off at about 4pm 3 walls had been completed and the back of the house only needed 2 top coats. Quite an achievement in any bodies books. Robin just has to finish off any last minute touch ups.

Monday we returned to Geoff and Eileen’s in Otaki after visiting my Mother at Porirua. At 95 she can still run rings around others 10 years her junior although she does have memory lapses at times. Back at Otaki I gave the grounds a quick once over with the ride on mower and then found that Geoff had picked up another trailer load of bark chip over the week-end. This was quickly unloaded along the driveway garden. Robin had found some old packets of Pea and Bean seeds and donated these to Eileen as he no longer has a vegetable garden. These were sown in the hope that they might grow despite the date on the packets.

Tuesday morning it was time for us to leave Otaki and head North to Takapau where we have a booking as Camp Wardens at the NZ Motor Caravan Association camp until the 19th. When we left Otaki the weather was fine but we could see the imminent bad weather rolling in around us. Everything went well until we started to climb across the Tararua Ranges via the Pahiatua Track. Despite the name this is a 2 way sealed highway which is undergoing major improvements. At the highest point we were virtually up in the clouds with visibility reduced to about 200 yards. Luckily this didn’t last long as we descended down into Hawkes Bay. At Pahiatua we turned left onto SH2 heading towards Hastings and our final destination.

At the camp we met Les the warden we were relieving and went through a hand over procedure and he was soon on his way home to Wanganui. We hadn’t even got ourselves set up on site before our first client arrived with another arriving a couple of hours later. We have finally got ourselves organised and hopefully worked our way through our duties list, so lets see what the next 2 weeks brings forth.

Very poor internet, so no pictures I’m sorry. Took me nearly an hour to upload this.

Change of Profession.

2011-11-29T22:20:00.000-10:00

As Dot’s sister Mary had flown in from Auckland on Monday a family get together had been arranged for Tuesday. As for me, I was dropped off at Robin and Jenny’s residence in Totara Park to give Robin a hand with some very long overdue house painting. It was a perfect day for it with just the right temperatures and not too much sun.

Derek in disguise - ready for painting

Over about 6 hours we had 2 walls underway with Etch Primer and undercoat but there is a lot more to go with a total of 5 coats per wall. An arrangement has now been made for us to go and stay there for a long week-end starting on Friday. The long range weather forecast is OK except for Sunday but hopefully, that day we may be able to work on the front wall under the overhanging eaves. Just depends on wind direction. Read Jenny’s blog about it here.

Robin hard at work

Today has been lawn mowing day which took all of 4 hours but it’s looking good. Another trailer load of bark chip was organised this afternoon which we put straight on the driveway garden. There is still some work to be done along the driveway but it’s looking pretty good.

Trials and Tribulations.

2011-11-27T20:24:00.001-10:00

Yesterday, after another busy day around the Estate where the vegetable garden was the main priority, Eileen put on a lovely roast dinner with a surprise chocolate birthday cake for yours truly as dessert. Very much appreciated by all concerned.

Happy Birthday Derek. Even the number of candles don’t give it away.

Today, prior to lunch a few hours were spent in the garden before “Rain stopped Play”. A good excuse to watch a DVD about the Cheshire railway routes between Chester and Manchester. A mixture of new and old with some black and white photography thrown in. Scenes around Northwich and the River Weaver bought memories flooding back as did views of Castlefield Basin, Manchester where we spent quite some time on narrowboat “Gypsy Rover”.

In the kitchen Dot got to grips with her new Magic Cooker thermal insulated cooking pot with a Chicken casserole. The end result was very nice but could have been slightly hotter. A lesson learned for next time.

Unusual Dwelling perhaps.

2011-11-26T16:32:00.000-10:00

I am still keeping busy with gardening at Geoff and Eileens along with a few repairs and modifications to the motorhome. Geoff and I went out this morning for another trailer load of sheep manure to complete the raised vegetable garden. The farmer should be quite pleased with our efforts as we have cleared about a ⅓ of his shearing shed saving him some work.

While visiting Dot’s father I got to read the newspaper where I spotted an article about Wellington Airport’s Control Tower which it seems is the only one in the world that is on private property with it’s own residential address, not within the airport grounds. Plans are afoot to build a new control tower within the airport grounds which will be higher than the original. This is necessary due to the many changes that have been made both in the nearby vicinity and within the airport. There is some talk that the old tower could be put on the property market as a residential property or perhaps a building of interest. How about a museum/cafe?

photo courtesy www.stuff.co.nz

Yours Truly had his **th Birthday today!

2011-11-24T22:16:00.001-10:00

He’s probably dreaming of one of these now

We spent a very busy day in Wellington today, catching up with both our elderly parents as well as visiting the polling booth to cast our votes in the country’s General Election before polling day tomorrow. Collected our mail from Brent’s and returned some belongings to our storage before heading north again. We had a delightful lunch at one of our friend Jenny’s favourite cafe “The Fig Tree Cafe” in a unique setting in a restored chapel in Heretaunga.

Happy Birthday Tracey

2011-11-19T14:00:00.000-10:00

Hope you have a lovely day from us here in New Zealand.

Unknown Family History.

2011-11-18T21:50:00.000-10:00

I have been busy most days out in Geoff and Eileen’s garden making the grounds more manageable. Today Geoff organised the trailer and the first trip was to Koputaroa on the north side of Levin for a load of sheep manure. I had become aware of a sheep farmer who wanted the manure removed from under his shearing shed and I could take as much as I wanted. Say no more! By 1pm we had this trailer load unloaded ready for the next job which was a trip to the tip with garden cuttings. We travelled down to Paraparaumu tip where we could buy a load of bark chip to tidy up a couple of flower beds, one load in and one load out, no dead running.

Working or playing?

During the week Dot had arranged a luncheon with her Uncle Bill and Aunty Gretta who both recently turned 80. While in the Hutt Valley we did a few other chores just to save time. Talking to Bill it transpired that his ancestors came from Ireland and when he was in his early 20’s he travelled over there and worked on their farm along with another ancestors farm in America.

Boys and their toys!

He feels that he is lucky to be alive because he along with 4 friends had been booked to travel on the ill fated train that crashed in the Tangiwai disaster. (New Zealand’s worst railway disaster with a death toll of 151 on Christmas Eve 1953). This was where a lahar from the collapse of a natural volcanic ash dam blocking the outlet of Mount Ruapehu’s crater lake ran down the Whangaehu glacier and washed away the Tangiwai railway bridge. It was only at the last minute that Bill and his friends had to cancel their travel arrangements but their names still appeared on the passenger list after the disaster, so who were the 5 passengers that replaced them?

Gretta and Bill celebrated their 80th birthdays together recently.

Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines.

2011-11-13T22:17:00.000-10:00

Saturday was to be the highlight of the Caravan Club Rally. As yesterday was Armistice Day a tribute was held at Hood Aerodrome to remember the men who gave their all during WW I. On display were motor vehicles and motorcycles from the era, all in working condition. However all wasn’t what it appeared to be as the military vehicles were all copies made for the film industry, some on genuine chassis' or wheels but the rest in modern materials.The WW I tank looked authentic but up close you could detect the imitation guns and cannon as well as the 20 century engine.

Beautifully restored cars of the early 1900's. An Austin and a Wolsley?

Beautifully restored cars and motorcycle of the early 1900's including a pair of Ford model "T"s

A Fiat truck.

The highlight was of course the beautifully made replica aircraft of both English and German origin. Made from original blueprints using Spruce and Ash as well as Irish Linen or something closely resembling the material. The 20 – 25 aircraft were all air worthy and most of them took to the sky despite a stiff southerly breeze and rain.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was bought by Peter Jackson in May 2011 and now lives in New Zealand.

Anti aircraft gun on a genuine chassis. The rest including the gun are fake.

Chance Vought FG - 1D Corsair.

Talking to one of the staff we were under the impression that the person bankrolling all this didn’t want to be identified but when New Zealand’s number one film maker lives here in Masterton and a lot of it had been made for the film industry we surmised that Sir Peter Jackson was involved. He has directed a short film entitled Crossing the Line to test a new model of digital cinema camera. The film takes place during World War I, and was shot in two days. He also owns an aircraft restoration and manufacturing company, The Vintage Aviator, which is based at Hood Aerodrome and dedicated to World War I and World War II fighter planes among other planes from the 1920s and 1930s.

British SE 5A. 200HP capable of 135MPH.

Nieuport XI

British BE 2C capable of 72MPH over 200 miles.

Sheet metal and plastic with a modern power plant. A movie prop.

Clareville Cattle Market Day.

2011-11-10T16:51:00.001-10:00

Today we got another taste of country living with the local stock market being held just across the paddock from where we are parked. From early morning trucks and trailers started to arrive with cattle, calves, sheep, lambs and a few piglets.

Sheep pens at the Clareville stock market.

Lambs for fattening or replacement Ewes.

We all wandered across to have a look at what was arriving for the sale. Weaned lambs, piglets and calves ready for fattening, yearling bulls and heifers for replacement stock were among the 40 or so lots for auction. Bidding was brisk in most cases except for the bobby calves that still needed hand feeding.

Bobby calves looking for new homes.

Porkers for fattening.

Not much interest was shown in this section and one lucky lady was buying them at $2 –$5 each. She will have her work cut out to start with but in the long run will make a tidy little profit. The whole auction was over in a couple of hours but it was interesting to attend such an event.

Open air stock pens for the big annual stock sales.

Gypsy Rover is named!

2011-11-09T21:05:00.001-10:00

After a lovely break at Levin it was time to head south once more. Wednesday morning we set off after the morning rush hour with the first port of call being Geoff and Eileen’s at Otaki to drop off a couple of bags of well rotted sheep manure and some tomato plants. At Otaki I parked the motorhome in a rest area and travelled with Dot so as to be able to unload the manure (20kg bags) and plant the tomato’s.The quicker they were planted the quicker we get a crop.

Spotted in Wellington, not exactly my cup of tea!

The next stop was Upper Hutt where I went and got the sign writing on the motorhome completed and Dot visited her father who unfortunately was not having a good day. As we had appointments in Lower Hutt on Thursday we stayed overnight at the Petone Workingmans club making it easy time wise in the morning.

We now have a name!!

Once our appointments had been dealt with it was off over the Rimutaka hill road to the Wairarapa to attend a Caravan Club rally this coming week-end. A lot of work has been done on this road in the 5 years we have been in the UK and is still ongoing making the 13km trip over the hill more enjoyable. It will be great when it’s completed.

The early birds are here for the weekend combined rally.

Country school life NZ style.

2011-11-06T22:12:00.000-10:00

It was good to be back at Don and Sandra’s Farm where we always get a taste of country living. Monday morning and Don and I were off down to the barn to take a top link off a tractor that had ceased up. We gave it a good dose of WD40 (rust killer) and then applied some heat. Eventually we got some movement at one end and got it unscrewed enough to enable us to clean the threads. The other end wasn’t so easy but we finally succeeded when we got a huge spanner and a 3 foot long pipe to get some serious leverage into play. It was a case of brute force all the way to the end but after a good clean up and plenty of copper impregnated grease it went back together dead easy.

The afternoon saw me repairing the slats in the bed extension that had warped and come apart. This was due to the fact that they were only held together with 4 staples and little blobs of silicon which would hold much anyway. Removing the staples and the silicon I replaced it with PVA glue along the full length and 4 decent size screw’s which won’t fall apart in a hurry. I have repaired about 12 of the slats and still have 7 to do but they are in a better condition so they can wait for another day.

Sausage sizzle and Hamburgers at Koputaroa School Agricultural day.

This evening all four of us were down off to the Koputaroa School where we had been at the week-end with the NZMCA rally. Todays event was the school Agricultural Day (Lamb and Calf day).When we arrived judging had already started and all the animals were nicely presented. As well as this each class room held different competitions that the children had participated in, cooking, art, diorama’s in sand and much, much more. We didn’t agree with all the judges choices but the standard of the entries was high. On the lighter side there was a tombola, sausage sizzle, hamburgers and coffee. gumboot throwing and pony rides. With a school role of 170 there was a good crowd with many Grandparents in attendance. A lovely evening’s entertainment.

Calf judging.

The most unusual lamb in the Lamb judging.

Prize giving after the calf judging.

How's this for a coffee machine?

Guy Fawkes and all that stuff.

2011-11-05T16:36:00.000-10:00

Well we seem to have solved our campsite problems until next year. Friends Eileen and Geoff have a small holding at Otaki just north of Wellington and for various reasons need some help with managing their estate so I have become Head Gardener in return for a campsite. Mind you we are going to be busy between now and Christmas anyway.

Dot's new friend Muffy sits in the sun in Gypsy Rover. She would love to take her home.

Friday we drove the 20 something kilometres from Otaki to Koputaroa school on the North side of Levin for the Wellington branch of the NZMCA’s Guy Fawkes Rally. The rally was well attended with 60 vans arriving for what turned out to be a good rally. Four entries in the “Make a Guy” competition were presented for judging, two by children and two by adult’s. They were entered as the Tallest, the Alien, the Smiler, and the Fireman and the builders all took away a prize.

The evening meal was provided by the committee as a Hobo’s dinner with the tables being adorned with the finest newspapers as table clothes and dry wood creations as centre pieces. On the menu was sausages, peas and mashed spud, well what else would Hobo’s eat except perhaps Baked Beans. With over a hundred sitting down to dine the after effects of the latter wouldn’t bear thinking about.

NZMCA rally at Koputaroa School on the outskirts of Levin

Once night fall had arrived it was time for the fireworks display behind the hall. Although it was a good effort it was nothing to the commercially presented display’s that we get around the country these days. I’m afraid I’m one in favour of banning the sale of fireworks in favour of well organised displays as Guy Fawkes is English History that doesn’t really have much bearing in this country any more.

After morning tea on Sunday it was time to say our farewells as the site had to vacated by noon. Dot and I had plenty of visitors over the week-end wanting a look at our new baby and a few were very interested in what was involved in importing such a vehicle. We didn’t have far to go as we are staying with friends Don and Sandra for a few days and they only live 2 kilometre’s further along the road from the school.

Amongst friends at only our 2nd NZMCA rally

Nearly sorted.

2011-10-31T11:26:00.000-10:00

Having now moved back to the Petone Workingmans Club we ventured into Lower Hutt to try and finalise all those little chores that keep getting put on the back burner. Having now caught up with everything we can now turn our attention to other matters such as touring.

One chore which I had been putting off was getting into the electrical control panel to check all the settings. Having emailed Sargent Electrical, the manufacturers, for more information as they don’t have a NZ agent, I received back a detailed email. Having read the information a couple of times to get my head around the details it was time to have a go. While checking and altering any necessary settings I had to make a quick phone call to club mate Don who is an Electrician just to confirm a point. What I found was that the English dealer had not checked the settings when replacing the control unit after modification and the settings were for 110amp hrs. instead of 220amp hrs. as we had an extra battery fitted and the solar panel had reverted back to smart charge (both sets of batteries) instead of leisure batteries only. Now these changes have been made we will have to see how the power supply works out, hopefully for the better. Boats or motorhomes the problems are just the same, electrical, toilets and gas supply, nothing changes.

Oh dear, what have we here?

2011-10-29T17:43:00.000-10:00

After two rather damp days at the PWMC we moved on up the Valley to Trentham and the Army Golf Club site where we again permitted a two day stop over. This site wasn’t as good as the PWMC because it backs onto the Police Dog Breeding and Training centre and the noise of barking dogs ran from dawn until dusk with the occasional quiet spell. They not only train Police dogs but drug detection dogs as well so there are German Shepherd and Beagle’s in residence. The one good thing about staying here was hearing a Morepork (native Owl) both night’s calling to attract a mate but without success in getting a response.

Our main objective while in Trentham was visiting Dot’s Father and a visit to our lock up to retrieve odd and ends for the motorhome so we will be fully self sufficient. Prior to our narrowboat adventure we used to have a caravan which was fully equipped and most of that gear had been stored away in the lock up for future use. Sorting through the bins we came across all sorts of things that we wondered why on earth did we save them in the first place. Last night we attended the fireworks display at Trentham Park with a great show which we found hard to photograph.

The photos don’t do the display justice.

The only sign of damage or deterioration was my Caravan Club rally ribbons. These had been stored along with Dot’s ribbons in the top of the writing bureau but I found mine in the bottom drawer some 2 feet below all chewed up by mice. We came to the conclusion that my Pheromones smelt better than Dot’s and that's why my ribbons got used to make a nest and not hers. After trimmed the chewed ribbons they now look pathetic as there is not much left. Still if that’s all that got damaged we have not got much to complain about. The moral of the story here is to store everything in sealed plastic containers where vermin cannot access. Despite rat bait being laid it did not deter the little fellows.

In the drawer side by side and Dot’s were completely untouched by mice. How fair is that?

Sunday, we left the Golf Club and drove up to Totara Park to visit friends Robin and Jenny and after lunch went for a drive to a beautiful picnic spot above the Hutt River along Akatarawa road. Except for the odd car all we can hear are the birds and the solar panel is pumping out about 4amps so that’s good for the batteries.

Now what are these two cooking up?

Paremata and Petone.

2011-10-25T19:22:00.000-10:00

We departed Otaki on Tuesday morning bound for Ngatitoa Domain at Paremata where we planned to stay for a couple of days and visit my Mum. Well part of the plan worked out in that we reached Ngatitoa Domain in overcast conditions. After lunch I went and picked up Mum to bring her back to the motorhome for afternoon tea. The afternoon passed quickly and I returned Mum to her rest home in time for the evening meal.

Plenty of room at Ngatitoa Domain.

That night the weather conditions deteriorated and gale force winds came pounding in off the Tasman Sea giving us a right old rocking all night. It was so bad that we didn’t even put up the satellite dish for fear of losing it. The roof vents were also giving us cause for concern when the wind was tugging at them and lifting them slightly. Needless to say it was a sleepless night for both of us.

Para surfing at Paremata inlet.

Thursday morning it was still blustery and raining heavily. By mid morning there was no sign of any improvement so it was time to move on to our next stop in Petone. The Petone Workingmens Club offers members of the NZMCA (New Zealand Motor Caravan Association) low cost parking for a maximum 2 days. This site is handy to both Wellington and the Hutt Valley.

Holiday week-end.

2011-10-24T10:16:00.001-10:00

Here in New Zealand this last week-end has been a public holiday (Labour Week-end), the last long week-end for the year before Christmas. Caravan clubs throughout the country would have been holding rallies with Wellington Caravan Club holding their 60th Birthday rally with a joint rally with Wairarapa, and our club, Heretaunga all joining in the birthday bash. The chosen venue was Bridge Lodge at Otaki just 70km North of Wellington. This camp site used to be a retreat for the Wellington City Mission, an non denominational church group helping those less fortunate.

Taken at the 60th birthday celebration. Don't often see a photo of us both together

The weather wasn’t that great but it is only early Spring. This didn’t dampen the proceedings especially meeting up with old friends from other clubs who we hadn’t seen for 6 or 7 years. Saturday night was the celebratory birthday dinner where the Wellington Club supplied an ample quantity of beer and wine. Sunday night was of course the big game that bought New Zealand to a stand still with everybody focusing on a TV set somewhere or other. We were no different with most of us assembled in the hall in front of a large TV to watch the All Blacks triumph over the French.

Another camp? No not really, just our friends Geoff and Eileen’s home in Otaki

Monday morning came around all too fast and after morning tea it was time to say our farewells with some members having to travel 1 or 2 hundred kilometre’s to get home. We only travelled about 2km’s to the other side of Otaki to friends Geoff and Eileen’s property where we stayed the night along with club members Robin and Jenny. Rather than travel in the heavy home bound traffic our plan is to travel back to Wellington today (Tuesday) in more relaxed conditions.

We are the Champions!

2011-10-23T00:37:00.001-10:00

The Webb Ellis Trophy for the winners,

New Zealand wins the Rugby World Cup 2011. Well done the boys in black. We are proud of you, I now have no finger nails left.

Tonight’s the night!

2011-10-22T15:05:00.001-10:00

Rugby World Cup. All Blacks versus France. Our fingers are crossed.

Sunny Otaki (Well not at the moment!)

2011-10-20T16:40:00.000-10:00

Now parked at Bridge Lodge.

Time spent at Don and Sandra’s farmlet is always a pleasure. Among their many interests they have been raising calves and beef cattle for quite a few years. Now in retirement they are just running 20 head of cattle on their small holding. Instead of the time consuming business of raising month old calves to yearlings they are buying in yearlings, fattening them up until they are 2 year olds and then off to the meat works. Having worked on a farm at Hoon Hey Valley near Christchurch I love getting out in the country again.

Parked up together at Don and Sandra’s farmlet at Levin.

The last 2 days have been no exception. Don and I were out repairing an electric fence prior to shifting the cattle onto fresh pasture. Before that we had to round them up into the stock yard to cull out 6 animals ready for transportation to the meat works on Thursday morning. Here we had a problem in that one Simmental heifer goes ballistic when held in the yard causing all sorts of damage. We managed to segregate her and leave her out in the paddock until we had culled the others. The remainder were then put on the fresh pasture where the connecting gates were left open. Eventually the Simmental realised what had happened and came charging up the paddock onto the fresh pasture bellowing like mad. There is no way this animal will get to the meat works so arrangements have been made with the local Home Kill Butcher to come and shoot her in the paddock and take her away for processing. The safest method for all concerned.

Sandra keeps a beautiful garden up to a real professional standard.

After 2 days of bliss it was time to hit the road again. We weren’t going far; just down the road to Otaki where Caravan Club friends Eileen and Geoff live. They have set up power points so that any of the club can come and stay in comfort of their own caravans. As we had a Caravan Club rally in Otaki this long holiday week-end we were invited to stay the night so we didn’t have far to travel tomorrow.

The garden is a real credit to her. (where does she find the time?)

Foxton and Levin.

2011-10-17T23:21:00.000-10:00

Now parked in Koputuroa Road, Levin

Snow capped Ruahine ranges.

After a couple of relaxing days at Takapau we decided to head South to Foxton. Due to the Manawatu Gorge still being closed by a massive slip we took the Pahiatua Track road bypassing Palmerston North back to SH1. This took us cross country via Linton on SH 57 and Opiki on SH56. Travelling cross country was interesting seeing places not normally seen travelling the main highways.

House moving Kiwi style on SH2 near Dannevirke.

At Foxton we caught up with old friends,Dave and Angela who used to be our neighbours in Stokes Valley. After a pleasant afternoon together we headed on down to the beach at the BP Surf Lifesaving. Here there is a large car park right on the beach front. Dot’s son Brent arrived from Wellington on a flying visit with mail which he considered needed dealing with. We eventually settled in for the night along with some surfers living rough in a station wagon and a van. The sound of the sea was enough to send me off to sleep but during the night the wind got up keeping Dot awake.

Foxton Beach with a storm brewing.

This morning the car park was a hive of activity with early morning joggers and the local racing stables bringing horses down to the beach for exercise. The beach is part of a local reserve where motor vehicles and horses are allowed on the beach but there is a 30kmh speed limit. The first horse was a trotter which was exercised in harness with a sulky but the next four were loosely tethered to a frame across the back of a utility which was driven along the beach at a modest speed exercising them simultaneously. About an hour later these 5 horses were loaded back on the horse float and taken away only to be replaced by another 5 horses a short time later. We even got a visit from the local constabulary who gave us a friendly wave and left.

Foxton Beach.

We were kept amused by the surfers who cooked up breakfast on a little camping stove and then set about dish washing in the toilet block underneath the surf club building. One of them decided it was shower time so he stripped to his swimming togs and lathered up under one of the cold showers on the side of the building which are supplied for swimmers to wash off the salt after a swim. It must have been freezing as the outside temperature was only about 13degC with a strong on shore wind blowing in off the Tasman Sea.

Exercise over it's back to the stables for these 5.

We eventually got ourselves organised and drove into Foxton to post some mail and then carried on to Levin. We had phoned some old friends of ours, Don and Sandra Webb in Levin, but there was no reply. Not to be deterred we drove to their address just in case they had changed their phone number since we last saw them. We had only been there a few minutes when Don returned home after mowing a neighbours lawn. He invited us in to await Sandra’s return from a shopping spree in Palmerston North with her 2 granddaughters, Ashley and Kelsey alias Brat.

How to exercise 4 horses simultaneously.

When Sandra arrived home Dot and I hid because we knew that Sandra wouldn’t recognise the motorhome or our car. We heard her come into the house saying “who’s here?”. She got a big surprise when we emerged. Being typical Kiwi country folk they invited us for dinner and to stay for a day or two which we graciously accepted. Needless to say there has and will be a lot of catching up to do (7 years worth).

Takapau, Hawkes Bay.

2011-10-14T18:03:00.000-10:00

Now parked at NZMCA Camp Takapau, Hawkes Bay.

Takapau NZMCA's first club camp in New Zealand, purchased in 2005

Despite the site at the “Tarawera Cafe” being secluded it wasn’t far enough away from the road to lose the traffic noise. With heavy articulated trucks grinding their way up hill working through the gears and using their exhaust brakes coming down the noise never stopped. I think I heard the last truck pass by about 4am and resume again about 6am or 7am. So much for a good nights sleep.

NZ native bush on the Napier - Taupo Highway.

Yesterday we were unable to run the fridge on gas (the manufacturer claims the fridge won’t operate on gas above 1000M altitude and we were about 1050-1100m) so I had to get the generator out. Luckily we had bought some petrol for it at Taupo. Overnight I had stored the generator away due to inclement weather being forecast.This morning we awoke to heavy showers and I had the problem of how to use the generator again without it getting wet (water and electricity don’t mix). After some thought I found 3 fence posts laying around with which I made a cover using the ladder on the back of the motorhome. One post holding the ladder at 90degs; to the van and the other 2 supporting a tarpaulin across the ladder it made a great little tent in which I could run the generator without it getting wet or overheating. This arrangement was used for a couple of hours to get the fridge down to temperature before we set off again. Kiwi ingenuity.

The view at the top of the Napier Taupo Highway.

After about 25km we started the descent into Hawkes Bay and with improving weather the view was magnificent, all the way from the Kaweka Forest Park out to the coast. By the time we reached Napier there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and this was the status quo until we reached Waipukurau when cloud started to roll in off the Ruahine ranges where there is still a lot of snow on the peaks. Since arriving at the NZMCA camp at Takapau we have had a few showers but the weather is slowly improving.

This camp was originally one of 2 factories owned and operated by Norsewear Woollens, this one producing socks and gloves and all other garments at the Norsewood plant. Norsewear was the brain child of Norwegian Ola Rian who started the business with his wife as a cottage industry in his own home. In 1960 he opened a small factory in Johnsonville, Wellington. In 1968 he expanded the business by buying the old Ruahine dairy factory at Norsewood and later building on his own property here at Takapau. Due to his early demise at the age of 58 the company was restructured and in1985 the Takapau branch was closed. The property changed hands twice over the next 20 years until in 2005 the NZMCA purchased it as a club camp site.

View out to the front boundary

Taupo and Beyond.

2011-10-13T22:55:00.001-10:00

Somebodies home many years ago. Near the Tarawera Cafe on the Napier Taupo highway.

After an all too short stay at Mangakino we set off for Taupo. Before leaving town we visited the local Rugby Clubrooms to take advantage of the water and dump station as we both had tanks requiring some attention. From here we passed through Whakamaru onto SH32 and then branching off onto Poihipi Road which bought us through to the North end of Taupo on SH1. Nearing Wairakei Thermal power station we found kilometres of shiny new pipework where another thermal bore had been tapped into and the high pressure steam carried away to the power station below.

Gypsy Rover hidden in the Macrocarpa's at the Tarawera Cafe, Napier Taupo highway.

We spent a couple of hours sight seeing to see what changes had taken place since our last visit some 6 or 7 years ago. We were mainly interested in motorhome parking and freedom camping. Robin and Jenny then guided us to the local museum where we spent an hour or so reading up on the history of Taupo. One interesting fact to come to light was that in the early 1900’s Trout fisherman were allowed to take all they could catch which included some monsters in the 15lb – 25lb range. In 1920 in was deemed necessary to impose a limit of 3 fish per day at a minimum 40cm length. These days a fisherman who lands a 10lb-12lb fish can consider himself very lucky even though Lake Taupo is probably one of the best Trout fisheries in the world.

Native bush abounds near the Tarawera Cafe on the Napier Taupo highway.

About mid afternoon we all ventured off to the local Shell service station for diesel and petrol. It was here we said our farewells as Robin & Jenny were heading down SH1 to the Army Museum at Waiouru while our plans were to travel across SH 5 to Hastings. We have overnighted at the Tarawera Cafe halfway across the Napier Taupo Highway. This used to be a motor camp but was closed down. Nearby is the Tarawera Hot Springs which also used to be an attraction but for safety reasons the Department of Conservation have closed them. I went for a walk just to see what was involved with these Springs and found that the track was well worn and had been visited quite recently so perhaps the locals still take advantage of free hot baths.

Tarawera Hotpools now deemed unsafe by the Dept; of Conservation. Nice and clean and hot so somebody looks after them.

Waipunga river running behind the Tarawera Cafe, Napier Taupo highway.

Whakamaru Dam

2011-10-13T18:00:00.000-10:00

After lunch the weather improved slightly so we took a drive to view the Whakamaru Dam which is just one of 9 hydro power stations on the river. We no sooner arrived when the skies opened up with a torrential down pour.

Whakamaru Dam power station near Mangakino. It was raining heavily at the time.

Looking down from the top of the dam onto the Whakamaru power station.

Whakamaru Power station.

We sat in the car for about 15 minutes waiting for the rain to stop. Eventually it eased enough to allow us to have a quick look down from the road on the top of the dam. We spotted a viewing platform down a side road below the dam where we got a better view but as luck would have it we copped another downpour while down on the viewing platform and got somewhat damp.

Somebody struck lucky and shot this Red Deer Hind and left the skin on the fence.

Back at the camping grounds we were treated to a most unusual rainbow which was flat across the top of the forest on the opposite side of the lake.

A strange rainbow over the forest behind Lake Maraetai.

Lake Maraetai.

2011-10-12T19:07:00.000-10:00

Lake Maraetai camp site at Mangakino overlooking the Lake.

Thursday morning arrived wet and miserable as we set off for our next destination, Mangakino which is an old town originally set up to house workers on the Waikato River Hydro Power scheme. When the hydro scheme was completed the population of the town dropped from 6000 to 2000 but the town refused to die and forty odd years later is making a comeback. Houses and sections are very cheap, under $100K for an old Ministry of Works house, not big but well built.

A pause in a torrential rain storm.

We arrived amid showers and grey skies. A small parking area alongside the lake is set aside for motorhome/caravan parking with a toilet block. For those not wishing to cook, they can take advantage of the “Bus Stop Cafe” which is right alongside. A very nice campsite well worth a return visit.

Parked up on the opposite side of the park was an old Paddle steamer which was built in London by Yarrow & Co in 1907. These days it’s powered by a modern diesel. Having been hauled out of the water on 2 Heath Robinson trailers hitched together the owner had planned to paint the hull but the weather was against him. As he had a booking for the boat the next day he had to return it to the water untouched and naturally the event drew a crowd.

Launching the paddle boat "Otunui" onto Lake Maraetai.

Paddle boat "Otunui" Built by Yarrow of London in 1907. Was probably a steam boat originally.

Gently does it. It only weighs 16 tonnes but it's a Heath Robinson sort of trailer.

Paddle Boat "Otunui" at anchor on Lake Maraetai.

Lake Karapiro

2011-10-11T21:07:00.000-10:00

Robin and Jenny togther with us at Moana Roa Reserve at Lake Karapiro

Our return to Auckland was primarily to collect excess baggage we left with Dot’s sister, Mary,once this was back on board Gypsy Rover we were ready to head back down South. Wednesday morning we left Auckland, destination Lake Karapiro South of Cambridge. Using the extended airport motorway we avoided a lot of traffic and this took us out onto the main SH1 motorway Just north of Hamilton at Taupiri we turned off to avoid Hamilton city along what has been designated SH1B. This took us cross country through to Cambridge which was just 15 minutes from our final destination.

Our view of Lake Karapiro for the night, beautiful

At the Moana Roa Reserve we found caravan club buddies Robin and Jenny who had travelled down from Hamilton where they had just had a new hot water tank fitted to their caravan. We found suitable parks and set up camp for the night. Scenically it’s a lovely spot but it is noisy due to SH1 passing by within a couple of hundred yards.Needless to say we didn’t sleep too well.

Champas for the Gypsy

Heading for Auckland.

2011-10-09T22:20:00.000-10:00

Overnight the region had suffered a deluge of rain leaving quite a lot of surface flooding around the park area on which we were parked. Our first thoughts were that we were going to get bogged down but luckily the ground was still reasonably firm and we got off very easily. After a chat with the manager of the Goldfields Railway about long term parking later next year we set off for Auckland.

The journey was uneventful but once back out on SH1 we found that the road had changed quite considerably since the last time we travelled this route. The road now completely bypasses towns like Mercer and Pokeno and the notorious Bombay Hills. Sure there are still some hills but nothing like the old road.

We located the Tui Glen Domain with no problems and since our last visit found a lot of work had been carried out in what used to be a camp site. The old cabins are all boarded up but nicely painted and the grounds improved. The NZMCA site is actually what we thought was an old council yard within the grounds. Fully fenced and gated so quite secure but with all the tree’s around the site satellite reception is very limited. This is not an issue with us on this visit as we will be away visiting relatives most of the time but there is a curfew in that the park gates are locked at 9pm so we have to be back before then.

Waihi.

2011-10-08T21:25:00.000-10:00

Goldfields Railway, Waihi.

Goldfields Railway, Waihi. 1931 rolling stock.

Gypsy Rover at Waihi Goldfields Railway.

Last night the local hoons decided to come down to the park and make a nuisance of themselves by yelling and screaming and then banging on the sides of the other 2 motorhomes before running off. Other than that it was a quiet night again.

Goods yard crane at Goldfields Railway, Waihi.

Waiting for another train.

This morning we tried out our new waste tank disposal gear and filled the water tank before heading off to Waihi. Our destination was to be the Goldfields (preserved) Railway between Waihi and Waikino on the edge of the Karangahake Gorge. It was only a 45 minute journey even with a refuelling stop. Upon arrival we checked in with the booking clerk in the station booking office as this is a new NZ Motorhome Association site. We even have the use of mains power.

Waihi Station.

Diesel power at the Goldfield Railway Waihi.

Being a Sunday the railway was operating so after lunch we took the last return trip to Waikino and back behind an 0-4-0 diesel shunter through some beautiful scenic countryside. The line was originally the main line between Auckland and Tauranga before closure when this section was saved by a preservation group as a tourism venture.

A Railway always makes me smile

This is the life.

2011-10-07T19:29:00.000-10:00

Now safely parked at Omokoroa Domain Boat Club Park

Omokoroa Domain.

We had a peaceful first night at the Castle European premises and after breakfast completed our inspection to ensure everything was operational and to see what gear had gone missing, (if any). It turned out that the rechargeable vacuum cleaner that came with the motorhome had vanished along with a sleeping bag and a duvet. May the perpetrator suffer a host of unmentionable nasty's.

After morning tea with Paul and Diane it was time to take our leave and hit the open road. Paul had given us directions to 2 local facilities where we could spend a couple of days getting ourselves sorted out. We decided to try for the Omokoroa Domain which under NZMCA rules allows 3 motorhomes to stay for a maximum of 2 nights. Luck was on our side as the parking area was empty except for many 4x4’s with boat trailers for which the parking area is primarily designed.

Tauranga harbour with Mt Maunganui in the background.

The view around us is of Tauranga Harbour with many yachts anchored along the main channel across to Matakana Island. At this mornings low tide the main navigable channel became more obvious with huge mud flats exposed. At this end of the harbour the majority of it wouldn't’ be much more than 3 or 4 feet deep at high tide. During the afternoon we were joined by another motorhome and late last night another one joined us.

Tauranga Harbour from the walkway around the bays. Abundant native bush.

Beautiful Clivia in full bloom along the walkway

During the evening we went for a walk along the beach and came across the Gerald Crapp Memorial Park which was established by his ancestor the Reverend Joseph Gellibrand. The Rev came over from Tasmania in 1877 and started farming the peninsular along with family friend Elizabeth Winspear who changed her name to Gellibrand She later married Captain Arthur Algernon Crapp and had 5 sons and 3 daughters. The Captain eventually took over the running of “Omokoroa” and set about planting many exotic seeds that Joseph had collected over the years in his travels. In 1975 the youngest son (Gerald) of Elizabeth and Arthur gifted the land to the country for all to enjoy.

Side by Side!

2011-10-06T18:53:00.000-10:00

Our two vehicles now side by Side

Look at that view!

Heading north to collect our home!

2011-10-05T20:14:00.000-10:00

The message we had been awaiting finally arrived, “Your Arapaho is ready for collection”. Hooray! Thursday morning we were up early and on the road to Tauranga at 08.45hrs. We started out under an overcast sky but it improved the further North we got until it was clear blue skies upon arrival in Tauranga.

Mt Ruapehu was in hiding but we found Mt Ngauruhoe

Crossing the Desert Road from Waiouru to Taupo we were treated to a sight not often seen, a heavily snow covered Mount Ngaurahoe clear of any cloud with a backing of clear blue sky. Absolutely beautiful. Just below the mountain, which is a dormant volcano, we pulled over into a parking area for a quick picnic lunch. There was a mountain stream running past the picnic area with crystal clear water, lovely stuff.

Mt Ngauruhoe almost out of the cloud

We arrived at the yard of Castle European to find our baby parked with 3 other recently imported motorhomes. After a coffee and a chat Paul showed us the alterations and modifications made to bring it in line with New Zealand regulations. The biggest change was with the entertainment system as the English aerial and free to air tuner were useless in NZ. We have had a Wineguard satellite dish fitted on the roof with a NZ compatible tuner. The whole system has been set up so that a second TV with it’s own tuner can be used in the rear lounge independent of the original system.

Clear bubbling brook alongside the rest area where we stopped for lunch.

It was well after midnight before we were able to get to bed with only a small amount of gear being transferred from the car. Ah well, another day tomorrow.

New bridge over Waikato River on the bypass to Lake Taupo (we will go there on the way south)

Kiwiana, Tulips and Warships.

2011-09-30T16:53:00.000-10:00

With another beautiful Spring day in the offing for Friday an arrangement was made to accompany Caravan Club friends Don and Pamela to the Botanical Gardens in Wellington.

Kiwiana at Wellington Botanical Gardens as part of the Rugby World Cup.

This fountain was installed in the Wellington Botanical garden in 1946 and refurbished in 2009.

Brazilian Coral tree in the Wellington Botanical gardens.

Along with other Council departments the Parks Department had set up a display of the flags of countries competing in the Rugby World Cup in Tulips and other flowers to create the right colours. Some of the flags were very good but some needed a stretch of the imagination.

The South African flag in flowers. Part of the Rugby World Cup.

Rugby pitch in flowers with the flags of Scotland and Argentina at the Botanical Gardens.

The Tree House in the Wellington Botanical gardens.

After spending an hour or so in this part of the gardens we ventured up to the Lady Norwood Rose Gardens for a picnic lunch. By this time the temperature had risen to a balmy 19⁰C drawing many office workers out of their offices for lunch in the sun and fresh air.

Looking down from the Tree House to the duck pond.

Lady Norwood Rose Garden, Unfortunately a little early for flowering. The Carter Observatory is on the skyline.

With the whole of the New Zealand Navy in port for their 70th Anniversary we headed off to Oriental Parade and the Overseas terminal where HMNZS Otago and HMNZS Te Mana were tied up. From the end of the Overseas Terminal we could also see the rest of the fleet tied up on wharves on the opposite side of the harbour. Unfortunately the ships were not open to the public until the week-end which coincides with the Rugby World Cup matches at the Wellington Stadium. With France versus Tonga on Saturday and New Zealand versus Canada on Sunday Wellington is going to be like London during the recent Royal Wedding, chaotic, so we thought we would stay at home for a change.

HMNZS Te Mana at the Overseas terminal for the Navy's 70th anniversary.

HMNZS Otago and Te Mana at the Overseas terminal.

HMNZS Canterbury with Pukai and Hawea astern

HMNZS Te Kaha another ANZAC class frigate.

Whilst driving around the waterfront we couldn’t help but notice all the temporary camp sites for motorhomes which were full to the brim. We have never seen so many rental motorhomes in one area at the same time. We estimated that we has seen at least a hundred motorhomes in all. Amazing what something like the Rugby World Cup does to a country’s economy and what councils can do to accommodate such a huge influx of visitors.

The Chaffers Marina at the Overseas Terminal.

Pedal power to view Wellington’s waterfront.

Temporary parking for motorhomes near the Overseas Terminal. Museum Hotel in Cable St which was moved and nicked named the Hotel de Wheels.

Beautiful Oriental Bay. A lot of the sand came out of old sailing ships used as ballast when lightly loaded with passengers.

Kiwi movie makers.

2011-09-28T18:29:00.000-10:00

After a few days of miserable weather the sun finally appeared for our day out with friends Robin and Jenny. We had heard about the Weta Cave in Miramar which is the shop window shall we say of Weta, Kiwi movie makers extraordinaire. Set up by Richard Taylor and his partner along with Peter Jackson some twenty years ago, what started as a back room cottage industry blossomed into a huge company after their success with Lord of the Rings.

Derek & Robin at the Weta Cave Miramar. The guns are props from the movie District 9.

Tours around the facilities are not available due to confidentiality on current projects but there is a small theatrette where you can get a glimpse of what they do and how they do it. You get to meet the people involved and see what they do individually which, when all put together gives you the final result. There are too many movies to mention that they have been involved with but if you follow the link you can read all about them. Several of these movies took 7 – 8 years in the making from costume design and production,computer graphics and animation to final editing and release.

We had a meeting with Gollum at Weta Cave, Miramar.

In the shop are souvenir's for the avid collectors of miniatures made by the same people that made the original movie sets, designs or props. These can all be bought on line Worldwide. There is also a small display of how radio controlled animation is achieved. Our visit only lasted just over an hour but it was a very interesting experience.

Miniature collectables of Lord of the Rings at Weta Cave, Miramar.

Monitor Lizard outside Weta Cave. Life size and life like.

As it was such a lovely day we had both bought a picnic lunch with us so we headed off around the bays to find a sunny sheltered spot.

Picnic time at Scorching Bay.

This we found at Worser Bay where a local diving school were running a diver training session. We saw them enter the water and then disappear for about 30 minutes. I can imagining the reaction of other visitors to the beach, who were not aware of the divers presence when 8 divers suddenly appeared out of the water and came walking up the beach. Like something out of a James Bond movie, saboteurs or spies.

Diver training at Scorching Bay.

While enjoying lunch we saw three interisland ferries heading in and out of Wellington Harbour. Two were from the Bluebridge company and the other was the “Arahura” of the Interislander fleet. Some ships in the latter fleet also carry railway wagons between the two Islands. It was one of the Bluebridge ships which caught our interest because the whole of the open vehicle deck was full of motorhomes presumably following the Rugby World Cup matches around the country.

Bluebridge ferry "Straitsman" with a cargo of motorhomes heading South.

After lunch we carried on around the bays to Seatoun, site of the old Army base of Fort Dorset and the site of the 1968 sinking of the Interisland ferry “Wahine”. A memorial park has been opened opposite Steeple Rock where the ferry finally foundered after striking Barretts Reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour during one of the worst Southerly storms in living memory. Since this disaster the ferries no longer sail come rain, hail or shine. If conditions get too bad there are no sailings.

Wahine Memorial park, Seatoun near Steeple Rock where the "Wahine"sank. The anchor chain directs you to the site of the sinking.

The next port of call was Lyall Bay where the surf was up and surfies were out in their dozens. We had no sooner pulled over and stopped to watch the surfing when we were surrounded by Police Motorcyclists with their red and blue lights flashing. What the hell is going on here was our first reaction. One Officer quickly closed the road off to traffic as another rode up to the next intersection and did likewise. Shortly after an entourage of 6 cars, a van and bus came into view and were whisked away to the airport where military and VIP aircraft are normally dealt with away from the commercial side of the airport which is on the other side of the runway. Talking to a passer-by it transpired that the entourage was for the King of Tonga who had been over here to support his country’s team in the Rugby World Cup. Nice one if you can get it!

Road block at Wellington airport, Rongotai for a VIP entourage.

Wheels on NZ soil.

2011-09-22T21:06:00.000-11:00

Our motorhome arrived aboard M.V Tarago in Auckland early on Wednesday morning. On Thursday we heard from our import agent (Paul) to say he had received the account from the Customs agent but they had omitted the depreciation so it had to be re calculated. Unfortunately the correct account did not arrive until this morning but they allowed the motorhome to be collected prior to the payment being made. Paul at Castle European rang about 4pm today to say that the motorhome had arrived in his yard in Tauranga and there were no visible signs of any damage. He has arranged for the electrical modifications and waste tank alterations to be done next week and depending on receiving NZ certification it should be available for collection early the following week. As we have a commitment on the Monday we should be able to travel north on the Tuesday if all goes according to plan.

Tourism New Zealand Style.

2011-09-17T21:28:00.000-11:00

After a week of getting ourselves back on track for life back in God’s own (New Zealand) we took some timeout over the week-end for some sight seeing. A luncheon date was arranged between fellow caravan club members Robin and Jenny along with Geoff and Eileen at Palmers Garden centre in Plimmerton. After lunch we carried on to a Caravan and Motorhome display at Pacific Motorhomes where New Zealand Manufacturer UCC were displaying their latest motorhome and Leisureline Caravans were displaying their latest upmarket models. All very interesting but nothing that made any of us want to race off for the cheque book. One thing that was of interest was the Wineguard wind up roof Satellite dish. If the aerial system on our Arapaho isn’t suitable for New Zealand TV systems we will have to invest in a satellite dish but we will have to wait until we are back on the road before making any decision on that score.

Motorhome show at Pacific Motorhomes, Plimmerton

Saturday night saw us glued to the TV watching the Rugby World Cup match between Australia and Ireland. With a general love hate relationship between New Zealand and Australia we were barracking for the Irish, (Dot and I both have a tad of Irish in us). It was great when the final whistle blew and the Aussies got their comeuppance creating the biggest upset in the competition so far. Come on the Irish.

On Sunday we were invited by Robin and Jenny to join them on a visit to an open day at the Wellington Vintage Machinery club open day in Mangaroa Valley.

These enthusiasts have an amazing array of equipment dating back over 100 years. Farming, manufacturing, business and common household equipment is all on display, some working, some awaiting restoration. Members of the club were on hand to impart information about any machine that caught our interest.

Ninety years old and still working. Two stroke petrol single cylinder stationary engine.Steam and petrol traction power.Looking for something?

The biggest surprise was a diesel fired boiler built in Scotland and imported by Dux Engineering back in 1964 for £4000, yes, we were using Pounds, Shillings and Pence in those days. By the time it arrived Dux had improved their manufacturing system and the boiler was obsolete so it was stored at the back of the warehouse until the club took delivery of it some 70 years after it’s arrival in the country. Unfortunately it will never be fired up as it uses so much water and diesel making it too expensive to operate.

Diesel fired boiler imported into NZ in 1964 and never used.Office and shop equipment display.Rescued from National Cash Register Company when they were due to be scrapped.Derek examining a Pratt single cylinder 2 stroke engine.This 2 cylinder beauty used to drive a generator for the TAB at Trentham race course for the 120 volt American Totaliser machine.Anyone remember these? an early model keyboard of the Commodore 64 Computer.

The club has an open day every third Sunday of the month and group visits can be arranged by contacting the club. We all agreed that it was a worthwhile visit and would encourage others to do likewise. Every gold coin donation helps to purchase spare parts to get more machines operational.

Another week closer.

2011-09-14T15:11:00.000-11:00

Since leaving Auckland last week we have been very busy re establishing ourselves back in our home town. We are living with son Brent until our motorhome arrives and is certified for use in New Zealand. which should be about the second week in October.

Last weekend we paid a visit to Camp Elsdon where members of the Heretaunga Caravan Club, were holding a monthly rally. We arrived partially unannounced to surprise some of the members who were unaware of our presence back in NZ.

Every visit to town produces surprises with meeting old work mates and friends and discovering what new retail businesses have started up or old ones that have gone or moved since we left 5 years ago. We have been making the most of the end of season sales looking for and purchasing items we will require in the motorhome. While touring England, Wales and Scotland we just made do with what gear we had bought away from Gypsy Rover but now we can set the motorhome home up properly the way we want it.

Pending arrival of the motorhome on the 21st September there has been plenty of communication between ourselves and Paul at Castle European, our import agent, to ensure that all documentation is correct to ensure a speedy clearance from the wharf in Auckland. We have 3 days in which to clear customs etc before the Auckland Harbour Board start charging $400 per day storage.

As members of the New Zealand Motor Home Association we have been bringing ourselves up to date with the recent Freedom Camping legislation and acquiring all the necessary books and maps to tour NZ from top to bottom. Roll on October!

Te Wai Orea (the waters of the eel)

2011-09-06T21:31:00.000-11:00

Western Springs domain.

Western Springs Park in Auckland is home to The Auckland Zoo, M.O.T.A.T (the Museum of Transport and Technology) and within walking distance of Mary and Tony. We wandered around the park and lake which is also home to a lot of wildlife.

Native Pukeko's roam wild in Western Springs Park.

Australian Black swans are common throughout New Zealand.

One of 3 clutches of cygnets found at Western Springs August 2011.

Another clutch of cygnets found at Western Springs.

Pied Shag at Western Springs.

Dab Chick on Western Springs lake.

This pair were caught crossing the road outside the Zoo.

Glorious Hawkes Bay.

2011-09-04T22:38:00.000-11:00

After a heavy overnight frost Saturday morning turned out to be glorious. Not a cloud to be seen anywhere and a grand view of the snow covered mountain ranges. After breakfast we headed into town to see if we could find some new slippers for Dot. After traipsing through 5 department stores we called into Hannah’s shoes which was the final option where Dot finally found some slippers she was happy with. Back at Richard’s it was a BBQ tea which I finished up cooking as Richard had been called out on an emergency plumbing job. Saturday night wasn’t quite as cold as the previous night so we were not disturbed by fans or helicopters.

Views from Te Mata Peak.

Sunday morning turned out to another clear blue sky day. After lunch Dot and I took the new car (Nissan Note) out for a spin up to Te Mata Peak which gives you an all round view of the Hawkes Bay district. It was many years since either of us had been up there so it was great to re acquaint ourselves with the view. After a while the temperature started to drop so we headed back down into town to find Rush Munro’s Ice Cream Parlour where they make probably one of the best ice creams in New Zealand. I had Rum & Raisin while Dot had Almond and Maple syrup. Hmmmm, Yummie.

Seen on our journey back to Wellington.

Monday morning and it was time for us to drive our car back to the Hutt Valley again in glorious sunshine. Checking the weather between London,supposedly in Summer and here, on the tail end of Winter, and the beginning of Spring and we are only about 2 or 3 degrees behind so we are not having any problem re acclimatising ourselves. The car performed beautifully so we are more than happy with our internet purchase from the other side of the world. Thanks to Richard for inspecting it and purchasing on our behalf.

Our internet purchase of a Nissan Note.

On the road again.

2011-09-01T21:26:00.000-11:00

After a few chores on Friday morning we caught the train from Woburn station into Wellington where we transferred to an Intercity coach to Hastings. We had taken a picnic lunch with us as we had about 40 minutes wait between the train arrival and the coach departure time.

By the time we left Wellington at 1pm the coach was nearly full with scheduled stops at Porirua, Paraparaumu, Otaki and Levin to fill the remaining seats. The midway break stop was at Palmerston North where we all had to de-bus with all our hand luggage for half an hour. It was only a quick toilet and snack break before we were all allowed back on board for the second leg of the journey to Hastings. The problem here was that the Manawatu Gorge was closed once more due to another huge slip. It had been re-opened earlier in the week with just one lane but there were no guarantee’s of when it might re-open after this latest deluge of rock and mud.

The alternate route was over what they call the saddle road which was probably the old bullock track over the hills many years ago. It has been widened and tar sealed but still not an easy road to be driving a 40 foot coach over.The driver stopped several times to drop passengers off in some very unlikely places out in the middle of nowhere and by this time it was dark. We eventually pulled into Hastings at 7.15pm where we were met by Dot’s son Richard and partner Andrea. As it was late the general consensus of opinion was it was take aways for tea.

That night turned out to be the coldest nights of the year for Hawkes Bay and Richard lives in the centre of an orchardist district. As soon as the temperature reached freezing the orchard fans came on to protect the Spring blossoms. A short while later a helicopter arrived on the scene flying low backwards and forwards across the orchards until about 6am,so it was a bit of a sleepless night.

Shopping for essentials.

2011-08-31T22:29:00.001-11:00

Thursday and our first full day back on home turf saw us first visiting the bank and then wandering the department stores for replacements for all the gear we had to leave behind in the UK. At Briscoes we purchased some new towels and pillows at a massive 60% discount in their end of Winter sale. Elsewhere we purchased new dressing gowns and I managed to find a new pair of slippers. Dot couldn’t find any slippers she liked so we will have to make another shopping foray in Hastings when we get there at the week-end. Tomorrow we head off to Hastings on the Intercity bus to Richards to pick up our car that he has been carsitting for the last six months since he secured it for us back in March. Then driving it home on Monday (snow permitting) since its forecast again tomorrow on the Rimutakas.

The Final Leg.

2011-08-30T21:41:00.000-11:00

After a restful week in Auckland with Dot’s sister Mary and husband Tony it was time to make the final flight back to Wellington. Tony took time out from his busy schedule to run us to the airport and we were there with plenty of time to spare but with flying it’s no use leaving things to the last minute.

A good flight down the West Coast gave us a good view of Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Ruapehu, (both active volcanos) with a good coating of snow. Even though the countryside was covered by cloud the mountains stood out proud and tall. Mount Ruapehu is the home of the North Island ski fields.

Flying into Wellington over Cook Strait we spotted a couple of the Interisland ferries travelling between Wellington in the North Island to Picton in the South Island before touching down to a smooth landing. Dot’s son Brent had taken a couple of hours off to come and pick us up rather than mess around with the airport bus back to the Hutt Valley.

Howick, Auckland.

2011-08-27T11:17:00.000-11:00

We were again treated to another fine winters day so took a trip out to Howick Beach. Although small in comparison to Pt Chevalier Beach it was still a safe beach for families. There were area’s of the beach where there was no sand, just volcanic rock which had the appearance similar to the Rotorua mud pools which had become solid as the volcanic activity cooled and solidified. As I had forgotten to take my camera all the photos were taken with my phone (something I haven’t done before) with surprising results.

Howick Beach.

Volcanic rock at Howick Beach. Looks like mud pools that have suddenly gone hard.

Last night we dined out at an Indian restaurant called Indian Summer that Mary and Tony frequented and we were not disappointed. We ordered 4 different dishes and bread’s so that we could sample a wide variety which was a treat.

Launching a boat Kiwi style at Howick Beach.

Is this really an Auckland Winters Day.

2011-08-25T17:08:00.000-11:00

Today we were feeling a great deal better after getting a good nights kip last night. We had been willing ourselves to stay awake all yesterday afternoon but by 7pm Dot couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer and I followed about an hour later.

Pt Chevalier Beach on a beautiful August afternoon.Just a hop step and jump down from the car park.

When we awoke we found the place surrounded in thick mist with visibility only about 200 yards but by about 9am the sun had broken through and we have had a glorious day. It was too nice a day to stay home so we headed off to Point Chevalier Beach where Mary knew of a nice little cafe. There we had lunch in the sun before strolling down to the beach where we had a brilliant view of the Auckland Harbour Bridge and Rangitoto Island beyond. Todays weather has been better than we experienced during June and July back in the UK.

Henderson across from Coyle Park, Point Chevalier.Taken at Coyle Park with the Auckland Harbour Bridge as a back drop. Rangitoto Island is beyond the bridge.

Aotearoa. The Land of the Long White Cloud

2011-08-24T04:12:00.000-11:00

Our last Kiwiburger at GBK in Wimbledon before heading home.

The first leg of our journey from London to Singapore was an eleven and a half hour journey aboard a Qantas Airbus A380-800. Having never flown in one of these aircraft it was an interesting experience. The on board entertainment was a touch screen TV in the back of each seat. Along with the usual flight path maps there is a “Skycam” which is a camera mounted in the tail of the aircraft looking along the length of the fuselage encompassing the majority of the wings and engines. This is very interesting upon take off and landings but rather boring in flight. The only complaint we had about it was the air conditioning unit which was very efficient but the temperature was too low as we had to keep the blanket wrapped around us the whole time. Being a night flight we tried to get some sleep with limited success.

Bored stiff at Heathrow and we haven’t even started yet.

After a three hour wait in Singapore we boarded our next aircraft to Brisbane, This was supposed to be a Boeing 767 but was changed to a 747-400. Being an older aircraft and not quite so swish the entertainment unit was the old TV in the back of the seat but with a remote control in the armrest. This again was a night flight but only 7½ hour duration. Long enough to watch a movie during supper and then try and get some sleep.

Again we had a 3 hour wait between flights which at least gave us a break to stretch our legs. Other than watching the planes coming and going we could watch the local train service which ran along behind the airport. Plane number 3 was a new series Boeing 737 with the upturned wing tips flown by a woman pilot. Prior to take off she warned us that there were strong winds out over the Tasman Sea and she would attempt to fly around them but we could be in for a bumpy ride. Half way through serving lunch somewhere around Lord Howe Island we started to bounce around like corks on the ocean. Thankfully this only lasted about 10 –15 minutes and the remainder of this 2½ hour flight was very smooth.

Upon arrival in Auckland we tried to pass through Customs using our new self scan passports but the machine refused to recognise us but we still got fast tracked through with first class passengers. We were met by Dot’s sister Mary and husband Tony with whom we will be staying until next Wednesday when we make the final leg of our trip to Wellington.

New Zealand on Qantas Airways!

2011-08-22T10:34:00.000-11:00

By the time you read this we will be winging our way home courtesy of Qantas Airlines. Although we would prefer to travel with our national airline ‘Air New Zealand’ we had enough air points to make our final return flight on the Australian national carrier.

Our story will continue in our home country soon. Give us a few days to get over that Jet lag first.

This isn’t the end, just a new beginning.

2011-08-21T09:09:00.000-11:00

To all our fellow bloggers and blog followers we wish you all health,wealth and happiness.

We have thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie of the waterways with it’s fellow bloggers who we will miss but will hopefully keep in touch. To all our blog followers, thank you for your support and good wishes. What started as a means of keeping in contact with friends and family overseas blossomed into something neither of us ever dreamed of, 90726 visitors from 148 countries in just under 5 years must be some sort of record.

As the saying from an old TV programme “ Now you all come on back now.”

Hyde Park.

2011-08-19T09:45:00.000-11:00

With greatly improved weather we headed off into London. We had a bit of a false start as we called into the local Lloyds bank to check on some arrangements we had been trying to get sorted. Once eventually underway we caught the bus to Surbiton station to catch a South West train service into Waterloo. Once there it was down onto the underground to Hyde Park.

Knightsbridge London.

The horse lane through Hyde Park.

Hyde Park Rose gardens.

At the park hundreds of people were taking advantage of the fine weather. Down at the Serpentine there was a steady stream of people hiring the pedal boats for a cruise around the lake. Eventually our feet started complaining with so much walking so we headed back to the underground. At Waterloo we decided not to catch the train straight away but wander out to the Embankment and the London Eye. The crowds here were horrendous with a 30 minute wait to go on the “Eye” but we managed to squeeze through and have an ice cream overlooking the river. At 3pm Big Ben sounded off which gave me the feeling it was a parting gesture from London.

Beautiful displays in Hyde Park.

The cycleway, horse lane and pedestrian walk through Hyde Park.

The Serpentine in Hyde Park.

Back at the flat we had to cancel the insurance on the motorhome as it’s now safely out of the country. With not having a scanner or printer at present this presented a problem but Sarah, the lady of the house said she had the required equipment upstairs and we were welcome to use it. Now this has been done it’s another chore ticked off the must do list.

Hyde Park and a lovely day for a picnic.

You wouldn't believe this was Hyde Park in the middle of London.

Westminster and Big Ben.

We are Sailing.

2011-08-18T08:15:00.000-11:00

Well at least the motorhome is. “Loaded at 12.39 hours and sailed at 1800 hours 17th August aboard MV Tarago”. It was great weight off our shoulders to get the text giving us the above details. That’s now one less thing to worry about for a while.

A novel use for an old Route Master London bus.

Watford Pond redesigned once again.

Today we travelled by bus and train to Watford, my old home town for a look around. The only problem was the weather, because not long after we arrived it started to rain quite steadily. We managed to have a good wander around the High Street and then went into the Harlequin Centre where we managed to find some seating so that we could have our snack lunch we had bought with us.

Watford High Street near "The Pond".

Watford Town Hall.

Around town I noticed a few familiar bus service numbers but there were a lot of new one’s. Checking the bus routes at a bus shelter I found the number 10 operated by Arriva covered a fair bit of territory I was familiar with so we boarded one of these for a self styled guided tour. Other than some of the roads there was nothing much different to what I remember. The only changes spotted were both the schools I attended. The Leavesden Green Primary School had expanded but the old C of E school with the Headmasters house attached that was on the opposite side of the road had disappeared, now replaced by housing.

Watford High Street. Not quite a pedestrian precinct.

Watford Football team mascot . The Hornet.

Francis Combe Secondary Modern School for 11 to 16 year olds has now become Francis Combe Academy and probably goes on to 18 year olds now. Back at Watford Junction Railway Station it was still raining so we decided to start heading back to London and our accommodation at Tolworth.

Blue squashing Leo in the cat bed. These guys are brothers living at Tracey's flat in Tolworth.

Victoria Park.

2011-08-17T06:32:00.000-11:00

We have still not heard from the Optician regarding Dot’s glasses so instead of sitting around here we caught the bus to Malden Manor railway station. From there we caught the train to Waterloo where we changed to the number 26 bus to Hackney.

The objective was to locate and visit Narrowboat Epiphany with John and Fiona who were moored along the Regents Canal at Victoria Park. The park is undergoing a major face lift with a new entranceway and fencing. The lake has been cleared of fish and drained to enable repairs and modifications to be carried out. A Chinese Pagoda is being built on the island which I believe will be a restaurant and a bridge to access it. It should look quite nice when it’s all completed.

It wasn’t too difficult to find John and Fiona who we had cruised with along the Rochdale Canal a couple of years ago. Fiona kindly made us some lunch and we had several hours of chat about our travels in the motorhome and future plans. Time flew too quickly and we had to say farewell once more to enable us to cross London before the commuter rush started. It was nice to meet up with John and Fiona once more and we wish them well for their cruises, hopefully for many years to come.

John and Fiona with narrowboat "Epiphany"

Look what’s awaiting us in NZ!

2011-08-16T09:45:00.000-11:00

It’s snowing at our home in New Zealand. Unbelievable. (thanks Richard)

Tying up loose ends.

2011-08-15T05:50:00.001-11:00

Monday morning and we were as busy as ever with visits to the bank and chemist in Tolworth, and a bus trip to Kingston upon Thames to find a “T” mobile shop to cancel our internet account. None of this was 5 minute stuff so by the time it was all completed we went and sat down by the river to watch the world go by and have some lunch.

Paddle steamer Yarmouth Belle on the River Thames at Kingston upon Thames.

Later a few phone calls had to be made to ensure everything was in hand with the bank and Cranham Motorhomes regarding completion of warranty work in time to take the motorhome to Southampton Docks tomorrow morning.

Another busy week-end.

2011-08-14T08:39:00.000-11:00

Saturday morning and we were busy with last minute packing before Mick, Julie and Liam, our host’s in March took us by car to Peterborough Railway Station. Here we caught the 12.38 train to Kings Cross in London where we transferred to the Victoria Underground line to Vauxhall. It was here that our problems began. As we were loaded up with one large suitcase and one small suitcase each plus a back pack and in my case another small suitcase strapped to the large one we made use of lifts and ramps to go between stations or platforms. At Vauxhall which is a really old station and as yet not user friendly by modern standards there are no lifts or ramps but 3 flights of stairs from the subway to the platform. We started to move the cases up one flight at a time so that they were not out of sight as we returned for the next one. Luckily there were two good Samaritans on hand who gave us a helping hand to reach the platform. We had about a 10 minute wait for the train giving us time to get our breath back.

With some text messaging going between Dot and daughter Tracey, she managed to catch the same train as us from a different station giving us an extra pair of hands upon arrival at Malden Manor our final stop. Again here we struck the problem of no lifts or ramps and lots of stairs, luckily going down this time but again a knight in shining armour stepped up and gave us a hand. It just goes to show that there are still some good honest decent people around despite all the anarchy that was going on around the country at the time.

We are now comfortably settled in Tracey’s flat until we fly out next Monday. Yesterday was spent at Tracey’s partners house (Greg) for lunch and a BBQ which is something we haven’t had the pleasure of for quite some time.

Another step closer.

2011-08-10T23:27:00.000-11:00

Thursday and we are taking a breather from our hectic social calendar to catch up with more mundane things such as washing and packing before we leave March on Saturday for our final week in London.

A visit to the doctor this afternoon is planned and hopefully we will receive a prescription to tide us over for a time when we return to New Zealand.

It’s all happening.

2011-08-10T21:26:00.000-11:00

The fish don't want to play today.Jim & Rosie, two waterways Icons.

On Monday we slipped our moorings to return to March to hand back Nb Uccello and Bungie the dog to their rightful owners upon their return from Canterbury. With a very strong tail wind we made very good time and were lucky enough to find a mooring on the new moorings in the park from where we had started.

Derek locking down at Whittlesey for the final time.Bill & Ben the Flowerpot men in Whittlesey.

Derek and Carrie arrived back in the early evening a bit weary after their travels especially with 2 hyperactive Grandsons in tow. After several hours couped up in the car these fellas had a bit of steam to let off so they had a bit of a run around in the park before Derek kindly gave us a lift back to our accommodation. It was rather sad leaving Uccello as this brings an end to an extraordinary 4 year adventure that many people just dream about. Still, who knows what the future may hold.

The Fens. You can see for miles and miles.Bungie doesn't think much of this sailing lark.Captain Dot and first mate Bungie.

Tuesday and the phone was running hot with text messages to and from our agent in New Zealand and phone calls back and forth with Cranham Motorhomes regarding the state of play over repairs and keeping them abreast of the shipping arrangements. We also had a luncheon invitation with Dieter and Sheila, friends made through the March Model Railway Club.

Derek, Carrie and grandsons Jayden and Aden

Wednesday and we were just as busy with a visit to the bank to transfer funds to the shipping company. We had originally been told that payment for shipping the Motorhome would need to be paid 14 days prior to shipping but as we only got the account on the 9th and shipment is due on the 17th this wasn’t going to happen. A £30 Chaps fee and the bank had the money transferred within a matter of hours much to our relief. After lunch we met up with Joe and Lesley from N/b Caxton with whom we had spent some time on the waterways. Again we headed off to the Wetherspoons new “Hippodrome” restaurant and bar in March for a lovely meal and talk of many happy hours boating and caravanning which we all partake in. It was great meeting up with Joe and Lesley once more before we head off to the other side of the world.

Joe and Lesley. Narrowboat's Caxton and Yarwood.

In fact its has been a pleasure catching up with everybody. To those too far away who have sent their best wishes, thank you, you will be in our thoughts always.

Relaxing week-end on the water.

2011-08-07T06:38:00.000-11:00

Now moored at Whittlesey on Whittlesey Dike.

Our time here at Whittlesey has been spent fishing, reading and dog walking. The fishing yesterday wasn’t too bad with a few reasonable sized fish and plenty of tiddlers but today has been poor with only a few Perch taking the bait. Dot has managed to get through over half of a book she bought with her.

As for the dog he pined for the first 24 hours and didn’t eat much but now we are the best of buddies. He’s still not eating as much as we were told to feed him but that won’t do him any harm.

While fishing off the stern deck a gentleman called from the opposite bank to say he followed our blog. Initially I thought he was referring to Nb Uccello but then he said “No Gypsy Rover”. He knew we were in the area and hoped to pass us somewhere along the way. Anyway welcome to our world to the crew of Nb Julanda, nice talking to you.

Floods Ferry Marina with Nb Harnser in residence. The blue narrowboat second from left.

Tomorrow we are heading back to March to hand Uccello and Bungie back to their owners who we trust will have had a good week-end back on Terra Firma.

Fox's boat yard and marina on the Middle Level at March. This is where our love of narrowboating was born back in 1995.

For those of you who have been following the saga of Nb Waiouru and sending their good wishes to Tom and Jan, a BIG thank you even though we see one couple who shall remain nameless coming out in support of Harp Narrowboats.

Because of all this delay and upheaval Tom and Jan now find themselves in a jam regarding accommodation for the next 3 – 6 months so if there is anybody out there with a boat, caravan or holiday home who is willing to loan or lend to them for this period please get in contact with either them directly or forward contact details to us to pass on to them. I know that they would truly appreciate any help in their hour of need.

Off cruising.

2011-08-05T08:05:00.000-11:00

Now moored at Whittlesey on the River Nene Old River

Visitors for breakfast!

Today turned out to be another eventful occasion with workers arriving outside the boat before 8am and erecting a Gazebo. Shortly after a cruiser arrived all bedecked in buntings and moored ahead of us. It was at this point that I had to walk the dog before walking back to our temporary accommodation in March for an unexpected meeting. As I stepped off our boat the skipper of the cruiser approached me asking when I intended leaving as it was the official opening of the new March Park moorings. The ceremony was to be officiated by his worship “The Mayor” at 10.30am. I said that I would be unable to move the boat much before lunch so he then asked if we had any buntings to decorate the boat. Of course the answer to this was “No”. How were we to know the opening was this morning, it wasn’t advertised and they only decided last night, how ridiculous!

We were all alone 5 minutes ago!

Mr Mayor all ready to cut the ribbon

As I walked off along the river side to my meeting I spotted several other boats heading to the park all covered in buntings so I rang Dot to warn her and just allow them to breast up to save any dis- agreement. Back at our temporary accommodation I had to wait until well after midday as the person I was to meet had been held up by an overturned caravan on the motorway. When he finally arrived he had a document that should have been made available to me when we were at Cranham Motorhomes on Monday. They also wanted another document which I was unsure as to whether I had ever seen it and if I had, it was in a document folder left with the boss on Monday. I was rather annoyed over this as we had kept in contact with Cranham Motorhomes at every turn of the process and the arrangements for last Monday had been made 3 weeks previously. Hopefully everything will get sorted out on time.

I eventually got back to the boat about 1pm and after a bite of lunch and a quick walk in the park for Bungie we set off for a leisurely cruise to Whittlesey. After working up through the lock we found there was just enough room on the moorings if we winded first and reversed onto the moorings.

The boys out cruising

Haven't we seen them before?

We are back on the Water.

2011-08-04T04:35:00.000-11:00

Wednesday morning and here we were packing some overnight bags for a 5 day 4 night stay on narrowboat Uccello while the owners Derek and Carrie go off to Canterbury for a long week-end and a family christening. We will be looking after the boat and dog “Bungie” as he didn’t get an invite to the ceremony. After a trip to the opticians to have eye tests and order new glasses (now that's another story) we headed off to join Derek and Carrie for the afternoon and dinner. Wow, wish I could cook like that.

Derek and Carrie with grandson Aden. Moored at the end of the Wey Navigation back in April.

After getting ourselves settled on board Dot went to the supermarket for a few bits and pieces but we have decided to stay put due to the persistent rain. It turns out that it was wise decision as we have received a phone call from Cranham Motorhomes to say that they urgently need a document to be signed. Grrrrr. Why didn’t they give it to us on Monday? As we won’t be back in London until the 13th they will send one of their staff to meet me at our temporary accommodation tomorrow morning to complete the paperwork.

Bungie helping Carrie to moor Nb Uccello back in January 2010

Once this has been sorted out and if the weather improves we may cruise up to Whittlesey tomorrow and then Peterborough on Saturday returning on Sunday or Monday depending on whether we do the return in one or two stages depends on how energetic we feel. We may be a little out of practice.

Regents Canal London.

2011-08-02T03:23:00.000-11:00

After a hearty breakfast at the Hotel it was time to head off to Kings Cross railway station for the journey back to Peterborough. We were in no hurry as we had plenty of time to spare. A bus ride and two changes on the Underground and we found ourselves at Kings Cross with plenty of time for a bit of sight seeing. We wanted to see how St Pancras station was looking after it’s conversion into the Eurostar Terminal and we were both pleasantly surprised how this beautiful building had been transformed hopefully giving it another 100 year lease of life.

Regents Canal London near Battlebridge Basin. If it's good enough for Manchester, it's good enough here.

Just down the road was the Regents Canal and the Battlebridge Basin where the London Canal Museum is situated. As we have visited this museum previously we didn’t bother going for a second look. One thing we noticed that we didn’t encounter when we visited the area in 2008 was the blanket of duck weed covering the water. Another thing that caught our eye was the number of narrowboats moored along the towpath two abreast and some displaying very expired BW licence’s. We are led to believe these boats may have been kicked off the River Lee after mooring revues in that area.

Duck weed covers the Regents Canal by Battlebridge Basin.

Eventually it was time to head back to Kings Cross to catch our train. Once on board we thought that it might be a good idea to get some drinks from the snack bar on the train. As the train was due to leave in a matter of minutes I walked back down through the train, about 6 carriages, to find the snack bar. Walking through carriage “E”, which was the only carriage that was full, there was a distinct rise in temperature. About 10 minutes after pulling out of Kings Cross the train manager came on the tannoy system saying that as the Air Conditioning Unit in carriage “E” had failed passengers were invited to move up to carriages “C” or “D” for a more comfortable journey.

St Pancras Railway station. Thank goodness somebody fought to save this beautiful building. Upstairs windows are now apartments.

St Pancras station with it's Olympic Rings with the games now less than 12 months away.

A statue depicting St Pancras station over the decades. The gangers who kept the railways moving.

The troops departing while injured comrades return.

Back in March we walked in the back door of our temporary accommodation to find our dinner on the table ready and waiting. We feel absolutely spoilt living with Mick, Julie and Pam who have been a real Godsend to us.

Off to London.

2011-08-01T02:24:00.000-11:00

After a busy week unloading the motorhome and trying to sort out what to keep and what to dispose of, we still finished up with our bedroom piled high with full bags and cases. However our main objective was to deliver the motorhome back to Cranham Motorhomes for warranty repairs and preparation for shipment. After completing a check list, getting a refund on the Calorgas tanks and unused gas (they don’t get exported) and a final check on any necessary paperwork we headed off to catch a train into Tolworth.

Familiar views along the River Thames.

It sounds crazy but it was cheaper to stay at a hotel in London overnight and catch a midday train back to Peterborough the following day than travel back on the same day. It also gave us time to catch up with daughter Tracey who lives close by. That evening we ventured off down to the River Thames just below Kingston. Tracey took us to a pub overlooking the river which was glorious. Boaters were taking advantage of the hot Summer evening and the pub was doing a roaring trade.

A new catamaran ferry on the River Thames.

While waiting for Tracey’s partner Greg to arrive we had a couple of drinks out on the patio on the rivers edge but after an hour or so sitting in the blazing sunshine we had to retreat inside in the shade and cool. When Greg finally arrived we had a look at the menu but there was nothing that any of us really fancied so we walked along the river bank up to the main shopping area where we sought out the GBK restaurant. The Gourmet Burger Kitchen which it transpires is a New Zealand franchise with profits going back to a trust concerned with the welfare of the native Kiwi.

Tracey with a Strawberry something or other.

We had a real feast with a Kiwi Burger made just the way they are in New Zealand with the burger, an egg, onion, beetroot, tomato and lettuce packed between two good size burger buns. Not only that but we had Lemon & Paeroa drinks which are only produced in NZ and imported by the GBK group. Two other treats were Whittakers Peanut Slabs and Minties both New Zealand icons. A great end to a very hot and busy day.

Look what we found at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen in London. All NZ icons.

Cleaning, polishing and sorting.

2011-07-27T04:30:00.000-11:00

26.7 Miles. Now at Elwyn Road March.

First of all we would like to thank all our friends and followers who have sent their best wishes and support to Tom and Jan of N/b Waiouru who are in dispute with Ben Harp Narrowboats. Hopefully if we all keep the pressure up it will get too much for this small minded little crook and he will be driven off the waterways for ever. We certainly hope so.

For us it is now a time of cleaning and polishing the outside of the motorhome because the New Zealand authorities will go over it with a fine tooth comb looking for any nasty stowaways. Inside of course we have been running the pantry down so we won’t have to throw too much stuff away. As far as clothing and personal gear we have a weight limit of only 23kg on our flight home to worry about, so it’s a case of what can we keep and what goes to the charity shops, at least there are a lot here in March. Oh happy days!

A total of 4241 miles, since 5 March 2011

BEWARE. Boat buyers BEWARE.

2011-07-25T08:10:00.000-11:00

We have been following a saga for some time now of another New Zealand/Australian couple who were attempting to follow in our footsteps with a narrow boat being built to their own specifications. Over quite a long period we had been in communication over various matters including boat builders.

Well unfortunately the owners of N/B Waiouru have fallen foul of a an unscrupulous builder (Ben Harp Boat Builders Ltd) who have ripped them off big time. The owner supplied Harp with a lot of electrical gear and interior fittings which were bought and paid for in Australia, and sent to Ben and Kelly Harp. All of this has disappeared without trace. They have also spent a small fortune on legal fees trying to get access to the boat which upon collection today by court order has been found to have been maliciously trashed and gutted of all fittings right back to the spray foam insulation. Is this criminal or what?

Photos from Tom and Jan’s blog this evening taken earlier today.

I won’t go into personal details except to say that anybody thinking of getting a narrow boat built should read N/B Waiouru’s blog before proceeding with any commitment what so ever.

Another lunch, another farewell.

2011-07-25T07:03:00.000-11:00

The new pavement fountains in Cathedral Square, Peterborough.

After yesterdays glorious sunshine it was back to cool and overcast as we set off to catch the bus into town. Dot wanted to find a M&S store to buy a nice top she had seen advertised online. Unfortunately they didn’t have any in stock but have ordered one in for her so she will have to make another trip into Peterborough later this week.

Pam & John at Orton Hall

After a bit of sight seeing we headed off to an arranged place near the Cathedral to meet up with cousin Pam and her husband John. They whisked us away to a lovely restaurant not too far from the camp for another lovely lunch, (we could get to love this lifestyle). After lunch it was back to the camp for coffee before Pam and John had to leave for a bowls competition on the other side of of town. Another fabulous day but alas a sad farewell.

We don't often get a photo of us together either.

Final UK campsite.

2011-07-24T06:38:00.000-11:00

65.8 Miles. Now at Ferry Meadows Caravan Club site at Peterborough.

Yesterday we spent the day with Terry and Polly, a couple that we had met on the coach trip to the German Xmas Markets. We had called in to see them on the start of our epic journey around the British Isle’s with the promise of calling back upon our return.

Terry & Polly our travelling companions from Burgh Le Marsh near Skegness.

Gypsy Rover at Ferry Meadows.

After a cuppa and a good natter Terry took us to one of the local golf clubs for a few ales and lunch. The girls had Scampi and Chips while us fella’s had Curried Chicken with a Mango Chutney which was so nice we had to get a second bowl full. After about 3 hours at the golf club we retired to Terry and Polly’s bungalow for coffee and snacks. After much chatter and many laughs the clock struck ten, so Terry very kindly returned us to our campsite with the promise of keeping in touch and who knows, possibly a visit by them to NZ at some stage. It was great to meet up with such a lovely couple once more and hopefully we may meet up again some time.

A one tree carving at Ferry Meadows.

The opposite side of the one tree carving.

This morning we were back on the road to Peterborough and our final Caravan Club camp site. Tomorrow we plan to meet up with my cousin for lunch somewhere in town to catch up on all their news.

Ferry Meadows where we moored in N/B Gypsy Rover

This final camp site is probably the largest we have stayed at, with 265 pitches on 30 acres spread over two sites on either side of the lane. With school holidays now upon us the camp sites are going to be busy and there are going to be children everywhere but the next fortnight for us is also going to be busy. Preparing the motorhome for shipment, looking after a narrow boat and the crews dog for 4 days and then finally getting ourselves sorted out to fly home our time will be at a premium.

A total of 4214 miles, since 5 March 2011

Cleethorpes. Nostalgic visit.

2011-07-22T03:35:00.000-11:00

41.0 Miles. Now at Nursery Bungalow CL at Burgh Le Marsh near Skegness.

Rather than mess around with having to change buses to get to Cleethorpes we had found that there was ample parking in the area so we drove there first thing this morning. Our destination was the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway. It was here in the late 1940’s early 50’s that my father worked driving the miniature steam loco’s after being de-mobbed from the RAF.

Bassett Lowke class 10 #11 from the Sutton Collection. It carried the names Mighty Atom and Prince of Wales

"Sutton Flyer". Another Sutton collection loco built 1950.

Cleethorpes miniature railway break down crane.

Cleethorpes miniature railway. Different style passenger rolling stock.

The railway has changed over the years with more track and one station being relocated. Ownership has also changed a few times. The original Loco’s have all gone although one has been found and is being restored to return to the tracks later this year. Some of the rolling stock is original although much has been bought in from other railways that have gone out of existence. A recent addition to the railway is the Griffin Hall Museum which was built to house the Sutton Collection of miniature railways from where todays loco came from.

Cleethorpes miniature railway. Sutton Belle built 1933 rebuilt 1953.

Full steam ahead for the return journey.

This 0n9 model combines "N" gauge track and chassis's with "0" gauge size bodies and figures.

A total of 4148 miles, since 5 March 2011

A New Face to Grimsby.

2011-07-21T06:27:00.001-11:00

After heavy overnight rain, this morning was warm and overcast. A 15 minute walk into the village where we caught the bus to Grimsby. Everybody associates Grimsby with fish and fishing as it was the largest fishing port in the world at the beginning of the 20th Century with 3 docks handling over 700 fishing boats. With the arrival of the railway in 1848 fish could be sent inland and south to Billingsgate Market greatly increasing the demand for fresh fish. It was in the 1950’s with the Icelandic “Cod Wars” that the fishing industry here collapsed putting hundreds of fisherman back ashore looking for alternative work.

The old face of Grimsby. A derelict warehouse awaiting a new lease of life.

A new use for an old barge.

Old warehouses on the inland navigation above the port of Grimsby.

Alexandra Dock lift bridge, Grimsby.

During WWII the port had a big resurgence being used by the Navy as a base for it’s Minesweepers. These days the port is renowned for the importing and exporting of Motor Vehicles. Whereas the port also used to export coal from South Yorkshire mines it now imports coal from overseas for use in the coal fired power stations around the country.

Old grain warehouse at Alexandra Dock.

A sidewinder trawler built in 1957 and fished until 1984. It was then used as an oil rig tender boat until 1992.

National Fishing Heritage Centre, Grimsby.

A fisherman's wife repairs nets in the back yard between other household chores.

In 1991 the National Fishing Heritage Centre was opened on Alexandra Dock to celebrate the work and lives of fisherman with guided tours of the largest sidewinder trawler “Ross Tiger”. The tour takes you through the crew quarters, down into the engine room and the hold where the fish was frozen and stowed. There are plenty of dioramas inside the museum depicting the lives of fisherman of the 1950’s.

Skipper standing on the bridge checking all is ship shape before sailing.

Trawlers radio room.

Trawler wheelhouse.

Memorial to Grimsby fisherman lost at sea.

Well, what have we here then!

You can even stand on the deck of a heaving trawler as the crew land the catch or in the wheel house watching the bow rise and fall against the horizon. The museum is well worth a visit and will quite easily fill in an afternoon, no trouble at all.

Taken tonight at 9.30pm. Does this mean we are going to get a sunny day tomorrow? It’s Long overdue.