Wairarapa 26

Over the Hill to Woodville

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With the sun still shining, we were up and out early, heading down to the river to see the wind turbines up close.

Click on any Image to Enlarge

The wind turbines from Ashurst

There are hundreds of them, and with a decent breeze blowing they were really earning their keep. The walk down is a great little trail that winds its way to the water’s edge and, once there, we sat for a while listening to the wind, watching the blades turn, and just soaking it all in.

At the top of the hill looking towards Woodville

Eventually it was time to move on, so we headed back and found the road that climbs over the hill to Woodville, passing right through the turbines. We stopped a couple of times to grab some photos — the scale of them is impressive, and the views from the top of the hill in both directions are well worth the pause. Rolling hills, wide skies, and turbines stretching as far as you can see.

Click on the Gallery below for an enlarged Slideshow

At the top of the hill looking towards Woodville
Amazing Turbines
At Masterton
Downtown Masterton
At the Tui Brewery
Th lake in Queen Elizabeth Park
From the swing bridge.
Deer next to the park.

On the way through we called in at the Tui Brewery, which now welcomes motorhomes overnight as a POP and also has a dump station, always handy to know. We’ve stopped here before, but the place has had a real upgrade. More outdoor tables, a great setup, and the food was absolutely spot on.

Yes .. it was due to rain!

From there we decided to head down towards Masterton. It’s only about 50-odd k’s, making it an easy run for the afternoon and a good excuse to stay at the NZMCA park and have a wander through town.

At the NZMCA park

The park has a really nice layout and almost always has plenty of space. The walk into town follows the river and is a really pleasant stroll, with birds about and the water flowing quietly alongside. The final touch is a neat little swing bridge that drops you right near the centre of town.

The path to Masterton along the river.

By the time we were back it was looking like rain was on the way, so we called it a day, poured a G&T, and settled in to watch a bit of TV.

Fiona on the swing bridge
Children at the park

The next morning, we were up and ready to head into town for a look around. Great minds think alike as we weren’t the only ones doing the same thing.

The shopping area

We headed for a café opposite the supermarket and settled in for a nice cup of coffee each before wandering down the main street to check out the shops.

It’s a good shopping area, though it’s easy to see that times have been a bit tough for some of the retailers. After a decent look around town and a bite to eat, we picked up a few things at the supermarket and headed back to the park to blob out for the afternoon.

Feeding the ducks at the Park on the way back.

A lovely day in Masterton.

Rafe’s tracker map to Masterton- Armada GPS
Wairarapa 26

Heading South for the New Year

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Happy New Year!   It’s 2026 and we’re heading off southwards. We’re winging it a bit this time as the weather isn’t expected to be too flash, and we’re keen to check out some new places along the way.

Click on any Image to Enlarge

At Taupo for lunch on the way down.

We headed off early after Christmas, leaving at 6am to beat the Southern Motorway traffic and it worked perfectly.  The traffic was calm and sedate, the sun was shining, and it felt like we were off to a great start.

Our plan was to head towards Turangi, with the GPS telling us we’d arrive before lunch. We stopped briefly at Tirau for a cuppa and a slice of cake, then about 20 minutes later we were back on the road.

Later in the morning we arrived at the NZMCA park in Turangi. It was only about 25% full, so not busy at all. We settled in and, naturally, it was time for another cup of tea. Out came our trusty old kettle but shock horror, a screw had come off the handle. We both agreed that could get a bit dangerous once it heated up.

The social lane 🙂

Luckily, there was a hardware shop just around the corner. Sure enough, they had what we needed, so kettle crisis averted.

Click on the Gallery below for an enlarged Slideshow

At Taupo for lunch on the way down.
My favourite place to stop for a jumper
The Turbines keepin eye on us.
Somewhere to rest on the way to the river
The walk down to the river
Down by the river

A little rain fell overnight, which cooled the air nicely. In the morning, after our hardware shop visit, we headed off down the Desert Road towards Waiouru, stopping in Taihape for another cuppa and cake. We’ve stopped at the Brown Sugar Cafe a few times over the years and it’s always a good choice. There’s great motorhome parking almost outside, right next to the famous gumboot throwing area.

Lovely spot

After a nice lunch in a busy little café, we continued on towards Ashurst, travelling through Utiku  and coming out near Palmerston North.

From there we headed on to the lovely Ashurst Domain. It’s largely unmanned but very reasonably priced, and power was included, which was a nice treat.

The Turbines opposite

The domain is beautifully laid out under big trees, right next to the river, with the large wind turbines doing their thing on the hills across the water. We were very lucky to have the help of a regular camper next door who showed us where everything was fantastic.

The place was pretty busy, being an in-demand spot, and it’s super handy to everything, only about five minutes from town. All in all, a great place to stay.

Rafe’s tracker map to Ashurst – Armada GPS
Close to home

A Small Settlement Close to the Water – Leigh

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One of the first places we ever took our motorhome, about ten years ago now was Leigh.

Plenty of room.

Back then, we were still very new to motor homing, so the plan was to head somewhere not too far from home… just in case we’d forgotten something or if anything went wrong. Of course, nothing did! Instead, we ended up discovering a fantastic little village overlooking the sea.

Down at the wharf
Looking out over the water from the wharf.

A few years later I came back while Fiona was working to see the village light itself up for their annual light-up event. It made for some great images; you can see those here.

The park before the wee storm with the conference centre and Motel units also part of the campground behind.
Entrance to the Conference-Wedding centre.

Last weekend was another one of those “unsupervised” trips while Fiona was at work. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous on the first day with hail, thunder, and strong winds in the forecast. The weather did arrive, but it was nothing to lose any sleep over.

The Library

Once the sun reappeared, I headed off for a wander through town and down to the wharf, only about a 10-minute walk. It really is a magic little place.

Scary driveway !
The Fish and Chip shop near the Camp.
Lots of colour
Really nice cabins too for friends without Motorhomes.

While I was out, I met the owner of Leigh Central who introduced himself and had a good yarn.  A really friendly chap, and he mentioned there are some big improvements planned for the future.

Looking up the main street of Leigh

The campground itself is fantastic, close to everything, quiet, and super relaxed. On my last night, I tried the fish and chip shop right next door to the camp… delicious and very reasonably priced.

Character buildings.

And of course, one of the best things about Leigh: it’s so handy to Auckland. Only about 60-odd kilometres from Devonport, so it’s an easy and super convenient weekend getaway.

Another great stay in a favourite little settlement by the sea.?

Rafe’s tracker map to Leigh Central – Armada GPS
NZMCA Rallies, Waikato

2025 Te Aroha Romp – Lots of Images!

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This is one of those events you just don’t want to miss — and it’s easy to see why it sells out in a matter of days! The Te Aroha Romp is always a highlight on the NZMCA calendar, and once again the Waikato crew pulled off an amazing weekend.

Click on any Image to Enlarge

In the NZMCA park

I arrived at the NZMCA park next door on Thursday so I could settle in 🙂   It’s a nice wee park and so close to town too. With the Romp on right next door, the park was really humming. Russell the camp custodian was having a busy day and doing a great job keeping everything running smoothly.

Terry popping out!

Just after backing into my parking spot, I met Terry and Catherine a couple of vehicles along with their recently acquired Trailite. I joined them later for happy hour, a great crew and plenty of laughs.

The next morning, Russell told me the back gate was open, making it easy to drive straight next door to the event parking. After settling Rafe and opening a few vents, I wandered into the Silver Fern Farms Events Centre to check in. I bumped into Des, the OC of the event, who’s been running it since its early days in Tokoroa. He was in good form and ready to roll!

Click on the Gallery below to enlarge – The Parking

The Entrance

The parkers did an incredible job fitting in over 550 motorhomes and caravans, almost all on the Friday. The horseshoe shaped setup around the main rugby field looked fantastic, a real sight to see.

Over 550 Motorhomes and Caravans!  Click to Enlarge!

That night, Coopers Run kicked things off with a great set in the Events Centre. They were excellent, but I was pretty knackered so retired to Rafe for a quiet movie night.

Coopers Run with plenty enjoying dancing to their music.

Saturday morning, the games began! I spent most of it catching up with friends I hadn’t seen for ages, but I did catch the egg-throwing contest, always good fun.

Jean during the Egg catching competition.
The Egg Throwing

Then came the piping in of the Haggis and the whisky ceremony, followed by the pipe bands.

In comes the Haggis

If you’ve got any Scottish blood, it really gets the hairs on your neck standing up, just magic.

Click on the Gallery below to enlarge. – The Haggis

In comes the Haggis

During the afternoon there was a pipe band competition and a  march of the combined Pipes bands in the main paddock. Seriously good sound 🙂

Click on the Gallery below to enlarge. – see the Pipe Bands

Coming in for the competition.
The judging grandstand
Disppaly on in the main ground.
Impressive marching and the sound was awesome.

After happy hour, I wandered back to the Events Centre for the Paul Madsen Band — a 70s hippy-themed night with some amazing costumes. For just three musicians, they really packed a punch, and Paul’s voice was something else.

Click on the Gallery below to enlarge –  The Paul Madsen Band

Michael and Earl
Paul Madsen
The Paul Madsen Trio

Sunday morning, the rugby was on the big screen, plenty of nervous energy in the first half, but the All Blacks got the better of the Irish after the break. The collective sigh of relief was something to behold!

All Blacks v Ireland

Later that afternoon, Lisa Lorrell took the stage, performing songs from Phantom of the Opera and more. A relaxed, musical way to round out the weekend, topped off with another cheerful happy hour where I met some lovely folks from Taranaki.

Lisa Lorrall

Monday morning came far too quickly. After a quick coffee and a stop at the dump station next door, I pointed Rafe north up the Matamata Road and back to Auckland.

Another great Romp done and dusted, huge thanks to all the volunteers and organisers who make this event so special every year. Can’t wait for the next one!

Rafe’s tracker map to Te Aroha Romp and NZMCA park – Armada GPS
Close to home, NZMCA Rallies

The Stirling Moss Special and Caravan

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Soon after I arrived at an NZMCA Rally in Glenbrook, Gavin and Gladys rolled in with their absolutely stunning Valiant Hardtop complete with a matching caravan. What a gem!

They were living in Australia when they bought this Stirling Moss Special, which was created to promote Chrysler’s Australian designed Hemi Six engine. The car itself started life as a US Dodge Dart, but with an Aussie nose grafted on, a true cross-continental hybrid!

Gladys and Gavin with their Caravan.

Of the 139 originally built, it’s believed that only 11 still survive today, so this is a pretty special machine.

Gavin and Gladys used it in Australia before bringing it back to New Zealand, where it served as their family car for more than 30 years. After that, it was tucked away in a shed for about 15 years before being completely rebuilt for a family wedding.  What a comeback story!

Under the bonnet now is a 245 cubic inch Hemi with a 350 Holley carb, electronic ignition, and high compression, giving around 240 horsepower. It’s also had upgrades to the brakes, suspension, and gearbox, making it a lot tougher for towing duties.

Having been a Valiant owner myself back in the day, I was blown away when they arrived, it looked absolutely spectacular.

Looking out towards the car.

The caravan has its own story too. They found it about three years ago down in the South Island, bought it, and drove it all the way home. The hardest part, they said, was finding one in decent condition that hadn’t been knocked around. They repainted it to perfectly match the Valiant, and now the pair turn heads everywhere they go including at Mystery Creek and other classic shows.

It was fantastic to see them both out there, enjoying their Wheels of Yesteryear.  A real treat for the eyes!

NZMCA Rallies, Rallies

Trains and Motorhomes

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The weather was due to brighten up, and with Fiona working for the next few days, it was time to get Rafe off the blocks before the tyres went square!

Click on any Image to Enlarge

There was an NZMCA rally on that weekend at the Glenbrook Model Railway, and I was pretty keen to check it out.

When I was a wee chap, I had my own model railway layout that took up half a room, complete with viaducts, tunnels, and even lights in the buildings, so this was right up my alley.

Nice parking with a bit of sunshine at Kaiaua

After being an NZMCA member for more than 10 years, it was also probably the first rally I’ve been to in the Auckland area…  so, it was definitely overdue!

The tide was out. The Kaiaua NZMCA park

Since the rally didn’t start until Friday, I decided to spend a couple of nights beforehand at the Kaiaua NZMCA park next to the pub. Always a great spot and the meals there are superb.  I spent a sunny afternoon walking along the foreshore, checking out the Pink Dairy up the road, and wandering down to the muddy marina.

Click on the Gallery below to see enlarged images of Kaiaua

Kaiaua waterfront up by the pink Dairy
The bar at the pub.
Lovely spot in the corner

Friday rolled around, and after a quick stop in Pukekohe to top up with water, I set off for Glenbrook.

Parked next to the ride on track which wasn’t working due to a broken part.

I arrived at the Glenbrook Leisure Time Centre and met John, who was hosting the event and busy parking everyone up, and Rob, who had created the venue from scratch.

The Glenbrook Leisure Time Centre
Parked alongside the track

Just as I got settled, a Glenbrook Steam Train thundered past about 10 feet from the motorhomes, what a great sight! Sadly, I was too slow with the camera (not like me to miss that one!).

Checking out Robs huge model Train project.

Rob then gave us a guided tour of the whole model railway setup, and what an amazing place. He’s built everything himself, the buildings, the track, and even a small ride-on train, all beautifully detailed and clearly a labour of love. It’s a fantastic setup and well worth seeing.

Click on the Gallery (Enlarged) below to see who you might know 🙂

As the day went on, more and more motorhomes and caravans rolled in, and by the 4pm happy hour, the place was buzzing. There were raffles, plenty of laughs, and that great friendly rally atmosphere. Later, after dinner, we even had a bingo night, which was a real hoot.

Saturday was all about chatting and catching up with people, some familiar faces from the Dethleffs Owners Group, which was a nice surprise. I was hoping another train might go past, but being off-season, it wasn’t to be.

The weather held up pretty well too, a bit windy but warm, and only a couple of brief showers that barely registered.

All up, it was a fantastic weekend with great company at a fun and fascinating venue. Can’t ask for more than that!

Rafe’s tracker map to the Glenbrook Leisure Time Centre – Armada GPS
Close to home

As Close as You Can Get at Sandspit

What a lovely little place to sneak away to!  And the best bit, it’s not far from the big smoke.

Click on any Image to Enlarge

Fiona was at work, so with a couple of days free I thought it was the perfect time to stretch Rafe’s legs, and Sandspit beckoned.

At just over 50km north, straight up the motorway, it couldn’t be easier.

After checking in, I grabbed a prime waterfront spot, opened a few vents, and headed out for a wander. Across the road is the marina, where a boardwalk winds its way through the mangroves, great for a stroll and a stickybeak at the boats. The bar there was closed (only open Thursday to Sunday), but I was more interested in the boats anyway.

The Boardwalk
Working on the boats

From there, I carried on down to the wharf where you can hop aboard the Mail Boat as it does the delivery run around Kawau Island. It’s a brilliant trip that takes most of the day, with a stop at Mansion House Bay (I’ve written about that trip before, see that here.

Click on the Gallery below to check out the Baches

Amazing Baches

By lunchtime I was back at the campground, soaking up the sun by the water and admiring some of the cute old baches nearby. Most of the baches you can stay in, but some are privately owned.

The Marina

With the weather set to turn, I made the most of it by walking up the hill to check out the famous big chair and take in the view.

The big chair on the top of the hill
The View from the top

The park itself is a gem. I hear it’s on the market after being in the same family for more than 40 years. That’ll be a sad moment for them, it’s not often you find spots like this anymore.

A fantastic spot, close to home, and one I’ll happily come back to.

Rafe’s tracker map to Sandspit – Armada GPS
Waikato

Ohinewai Beckons for Things Tech!

And wow, what a turnout! More than 85 motorhomes parked up, not quite in the middle of paddocks, but close enough!

Vans everywhere you look 🙂

This was another slick event, run by Waikato’s NZMCA area chief tech man Des and his team.

Des introducing the first speaker

I rolled in around 11:20am on Friday, thinking I was late, but most people were already settled in, parked up neatly on both sides of the road by Ohinewai Hall, with plenty of space in the paddock opposite. Perfect venue, perfect setup.

Comfy in the paddock
The Hall

After parking up and signing in, it was straight into the sessions:

  • ASB Team – They kicked things off with a really interesting presentation on online scams, showing real-world examples and sharing tips on what to watch for. So valuable for everyone to see.
  • St John Crew – This was one of my highlights. They walked us through the steps of CPR and using a defibrillator. Those machines always seemed a bit intimidating to me, but after seeing how automated and “talk-you-through-it” they are, I’d be much more confident in a real emergency.

After that came Friday Happy Hour, where I caught up with my mates Alan and Keitha from Matamata (they’ve got a Dethleffs Trend). Always great to swap notes about motorhome tweaks and adventures.

Heading in

The next morning, Wireless Nation put on a lively session with skits (featuring NZMCA volunteers!) about the 3G shutdown and the end of Windows 10 support. Lots of laughs and some useful info too.

Wireless Nation

After lunch, we heard from Craig from Google, who gave a fascinating talk about what’s coming up in tech. The big buzz was around self-driving cars. Craig has been in one in the US and reckons he feels safer in it than with a human driver in traffic. Big call but exciting to think about where this is heading.

Craig from Google.

Later in the afternoon, people could get one-on-one help with the
NZMCA Travel App, General tech issues (thanks to SeniorNet) and Internet questions with Wireless Nation.

The day rounded out with Happy Hour at 4pm followed by some fantastic live music from The Coopers Run Duo.

Across the road

On Sunday morning, there was a final get-together before heading home.

I came away really glad I’d gone. Even with my pretty solid internet/tech background, I learnt a lot, especially about CPR and spotting scams.

A huge thanks to Des and his team for putting on another superb event. I’m already looking forward to the Te Aroha Romp in October. If you haven’t got your tickets yet, get in quick. It’s always a fun one!

Rafe’s tracker map to Ohinewai – Armada GPS
Waikato

Gary and Jojo’s Self-Built Caravan

One of the nicest surprises at Karapiro was meeting Gary and Jojo, who were parked just a few spots away with their amazing self-built caravan.

Click on any Image to Enlarge

Gary and Jojo with their caravan.

At first glance, you’d have no idea it was home built, it’s beautifully finished, full of clever details, and really well thought out.

Even better, it’s colour-matched to their tow vehicle, a V8 Toyota utility and the cleverness doesn’t stop there. Gary’s designed a swappable system where the caravan body can be mounted directly onto the back of the Toyota, and vice versa. While it’s still a bit of a work in progress, it’s seriously impressive engineering!

The Galley and looking towards the Toilet and Shower
The Bedroom living area looking over the Gold Couch. Complete with TV and a Star Gazing vent above.

The caravan is fully equipped with a bathroom, toilet, and galley area (complete with fridge), and it’s fully insulated too. It looks super comfy inside and is a real credit to their hard work.

Gary and Jojo are from Whangārei and have spent the last 18 months building it themselves, including doing all the welding for the custom trailer chassis. The curves and detailing on the build are outstanding. It has clearly been a labour of love.

They were joined by friends at Karapiro for the Branded Music Festival, and it was great to see them enjoying the results of all their hard work.

Looking out over the bench towards Lake Karapiro

A fantastic story of Kiwi ingenuity and a real head-turner of a caravan!

Waikato

Karapiro Music Festival

The big drawcard for this event was seeing two iconic 70s performers, Shane and Suzanne. Suzanne, of course, performed with her sister Judith as one half of The Chicks. A real trip down memory lane.

Click on any Image to Enlarge

Karapiro is the home of Rowing and Kayaking in the North Island.

I’d booked in for four nights to make the most of it. The event itself ran for three days, but being Karapiro and with them offering a great deal for concert goers, I figured I’d go all out!

Looking over at the River

I initially scored a front-row spot overlooking the river, but thanks to the rain, the ground was a bit too slippery to get Rafe level. So, I moved just back behind the front row where the surface was more solid and flat, which was much better. Later that day, a lovely couple with a caravan parked in front of me but offset, so we both had views. Perfect setup!

Click on the Gallery below to see the area enlarged.

Looking up from down the bottom
Jet boating on the river
Waterskiing races were on too.
Waterskiing spectators

The first day was mostly about everyone arriving, setting up, and getting a feel for the place. I’ve been to Karapiro a few times before, once even with 30-odd Dethleffs motorhomes when I organised a Dethleffs Owners Club get-together. They’ve always looked after us here, and it’s such a beautiful spot.

Click on the Gallery below to see the Walk Ups enlarged.

Line Dancing
Walkups

The second day, more vans rolled in. After lunch, I wandered down to the Don Rowlands Centre to check out the action. They were holding “Walk Ups”, where keen singers and musicians could perform on stage with the volunteer band and some of them were seriously talented! Great guitar work, strong vocals, and a really good vibe.

Lovely area

There were line dancers going for it, people dancing everywhere. It was just good old-fashioned fun. During the dinner break, a few caterers were on hand offering simple, tasty meals, and then it was back into the music until late.

Line Dancing

Show day arrived and, after another round of walk-ups, it was time for the main event, Shane and Suzanne. They looked amazing, sounded great, and considering they’re both well into their 70s, they put so much energy into their performance.

Shane getting the clapping going

During Shane’s performance, he jumped down off the stage to get people to join in. Turn on the sound and click below 🙂

It really took me back to the Happen Inn and C’mon days on 60s TV where they both featured regularly.  Nostalgia dialed up to 11!

Click on the Gallery below to enlarge Shane and Suzanne.

Shane and Suzanne
Classic looks from both performers.

The next morning, I tidied up Rafe and started heading for home.

On the last day!

A great few days away, amazing location, and some real music legends. Karapiro never disappoints.

Rafe’s tracker map to Karapiro – Armada GPS

Fiona & Chris, two empty nesters put their dreams of doing something different into reality… Now back in a house, they were living in their Motorhome, come along for the ride.