Heading for Auckland.

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.

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.

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!

Our two vehicles now side by Side

Look at that view!

Heading north to collect our home!

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.

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.

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.