Phew, what a day!

The day started off really quiet what with the Tongariro Crossing being cancelled due to inclement weather. We did have some bookings on the schedule but these failed to eventuate until after 8pm when quite a few casual bookings decided to arrive all at the same time. Talk about chaos! A booked tour party of 12 wanted the room arrangements changed and 2 of them required bedding all adding to the mayhem that had broken loose. It was well after 10pm before we finally had everybody billeted or parked up.

While all this was going on a camper complained of loss of electricity. Upon checking, the “Wicked campervan” was found not to have the obligatory Electrical Certificate of Fitness so the power connection was withdrawn and no further action taken.

We both collapsed into bed exhausted.

Hi ho, hi ho, It’s off to work we go.

We have not even been in our new home a week before we set off for Tongariro Holiday Park. With Gypsy Rover safely parked up at our new home we set off in the car.A late request was made to relieve the owners of the camp while they took a brief holiday. Apparently their regular reliever had double booked himself and was unable to do the job. The trip up to Tongariro went smoothly with clear blue skies and stunning mountain scenery once we reached the Desert Road. Mount Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe looked magnificent still heavily coated in snow and not a cloud in sight.

Mt Ruapehu on a beautifully clear day.

Mt Ngauruhoe.

We arrived at the camp site around lunch time and after being shown our quarters and a quick lunch it was time to get to grips with everything around the site. Forty cabins, 2 chalets, 15 campervan power sites and 26 tent sites plus a huge kitchen/dining room and the usual toilet/shower facilities. As well as this there is a large games room with TV and Internet facilities which so far has been well patronised. The first evening and we thought all hell had broken loose with campers arriving all evening. Luckily Greg and Donna, the owners, were still here to guide us through the maze.

Tongariro Holiday Park.

Our home away from Home in Tongariro

Friday morning and we were in sole charge. We have a German lady, Tina, to help with cleaning chores and with 3 cabins vacated overnight there was plenty to do. Even the games room needed some TLC with chippie and biscuit crumbs all over the floor. The afternoon was quiet but the evening saw another busy period. Talk about baptism by fire, we were certainly pushed coping with the unfamiliar computer booking system. To add more confusion the majority of our guests are from Germany, France, Spain and Italy and have English as a second language which at times is very limited.

Flash advertising.

Saturday has seen a complete change in the weather with low cloud and rain. Due to the inclement conditions the tour operator on the Tongariro Crossing has cancelled any tours today and we are just awaiting his report on tomorrow’s status. This has upset the plans of quite a few foreign tourists who want to do the Crossing but have a limited time frame. As I sit here writing this blog the cloud cover has dropped lower and the rain is now quite heavy so it will be snowing up on the crossing. Brrrrr, I think I will light the fire.

Wow two mountains in one day!

That’s right, this morning while sitting at our dining table enjoying breakfast (with the ranchslider open as it was so warm) we looked out the window and we could see the snow capped mountains of both Egmont in Taranaki and Ruapehu in the central of the north island.  What a beautiful day, the vendors of our new home had told us this was possible but to be honest we were a little sceptical until we saw them with our own eyes.

Oh dear, we've now lost that lovely view.

We are all moved into our new property although not entirely sorted yet.  The story on our move last Friday can be found on our friends Robin and Jenny’s blog here.

There is a lot to organise with a move such as this and it all did not go entirely to plan with settlement not coming through until 4.45pm.  Phew that was close.  We were told the problem was with our purchasers bank not having the paper work completed but who knows. 

Good Bye Lower Hutt.

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Hello Levin

Our phone and internet were up and running with a good deal from Telecom and 30gb data until the end of 2013.  We won’t know ourselves.  After our 5 years in the UK we managed to survive on mobile broadband of 3gb, and since returning  home  it became only 2gb in New Zealand.  We managed to keep within the allocated allowance most of the time.  Whatever are we going to do with 30gb.  Watch or download movies maybe? We converted our on account mobile usb stick to prepay so that we only need to put money on when we are away in Gypsy Rover.

Last night we had a phone call from our kiwi friends John and Elizabeth from Blenheim and owners of Narrowboat Helen Louise who are coming home from the UK in January for 3 months.  We look forward to catching up when they come to stay in our humble abode, if only for 1 night on their way south from Auckland.

Tomorrow we start repacking again for our 2 weeks in Tongariro from Thursday.  More on this to follow.

The latest must have for Retirement Home Receptions.

Interesting Art Deco Napier

While we were in Hastings last week house and cat sitting we travelled to Napier to pick up a parcel for Richard from Mainfreight.  A Tow bar for the Mini!  People have asked why we bothered putting a towbar on my Nissan Note.  But boy has that paid for itself in the last few weeks.  Its work wont be finished until shifting day in a couple of weeks.

While in Napier we wandered around the central of the city and came across these very interesting views.  Nothing anywhere to explain their existence or what they commemorate but they certainly made for interesting viewing. Mostly knitted craft work attached to the palms in the main street.

Jenny made a comment and suggested I check good old google and this is what I found.

A Statue dressed in the style of the 1930’s in the art deco period.

A more conventional view from Napier looking out to Cape Kidnappers.

Yes we’re still here!

Back home after two weeks in sunny Hawkes Bay.  Yeah right.  Some of the time.  We are now are in the middle of sorting what shall we keep and what shall we throw.  We thought we had done this 6 years ago!!  Power,  telephone and internet now sorted for our new home. Now what else is there?

Look Mum! I haven't forgotten how.

Prior to us leaving New Zealand for the UK six years ago Simba lived with us at home.  Often he would bring a rat in and drop it at my feet as if to say”Aren’t I clever”  Many times Derek or I had to yell at him to take it outside.  One night I got up in the dark to use the bathroom and on  getting out of bed I screamed as I put my foot down.  Turning on the light beside my bed I discovered a large dead rat beside the bed. Consequently we locked the cat door after that so if he went out in the night he couldn’t get back in.

He must have learnt because today he came and dropped a baby rat down in front of us with a big smirk on his face.  No attempt to take it in the house.  Unfortunately being very dead it didn’t want to play so he gave up and wandered off.  It was then up to Derek to go and bury it.