We were into the last full day of catching up with everyone, and it kicked off with a visit at the far end of the carpark from the Ulysses Motorcycle Club, who arrived with a line-up of amazing motorbikes.

Click on any Image to enlarge.

They were a big attraction, and after plenty of admiring and chatting, about six energetic souls headed off on their push bikes to explore the area properly.

After that, there was the usual relaxed carpark catch-up session. Fiona headed into town for a walk while I wandered into the Coach House Museum again. It really is very well done, with some fascinating displays. There’s even a buggy you can sit in and “travel” around the city via a large TV screen. It is much better than it sounds!

The blacksmith’s shop was another highlight, with a whole series of live machines that start up at the push of a button to demonstrate how parts of a coach wheel were made. Very clever, and great to see it all working.

On the way out, I had a lovely chat with a couple at reception who were also Army people. He had previously been a Beefeater in the UK and was an incredible source of information about military medals. I could have stood there talking for ages.

Later in the afternoon, we regrouped for our daily debrief before heading into town together for dinner at Murray’s Irish Bar. The food was fantastic and very reasonably priced, and there were quite a few keen to properly test the Guinness! It was a great night, and a bit later than planned we all wandered back to the museum under the evening sky.

A great day in a neat little town.

The next morning, we gathered one last time for a farewell coffee before everyone headed off in different directions. It had been a wonderful catch-up, with lots of familiar faces and plenty of laughs. Well done to Richard and Carol for organising such a well-run event in a terrific location.

Fiona and I headed towards Marton to pick up SH1 and travel north via Taihape. Just before midday, we pulled into our favourite café in Taihape — and who should arrive but our next-door neighbours from Devonport.  A complete surprise. We enjoyed an easy lunch and coffee together before getting ready to move on.

As we were leaving, I thought I heard my name. Sure enough, it was Peter and Charmaine, who had been parked right beside us at the event. Peter had heard that SH1 north was closed due to a serious accident, so suddenly our tidy travel plans were up in the air.

Fiona went for a wander around Taihape while we went back into the café to figure out our options. In the end, we decided to head just up the road to the Taihape Golf Club and stay the night, then reassess in the morning.

We’d only just parked up, opened a few vents, and poured the coffee when Peter heard that the road north had reopened. So, off we went again! By then it was about 3pm, but we still had enough time to make it to Taupō, where we stayed at the Taupo Racecourse.

I was slightly disappointed we didn’t get to stay at the golf course after all, but it was nice to be on the homeward stretch, and we got to have our first night in Taupo Racecourse. All in all, a fabulous weekend.

Thanks again to Richard and Carol for putting together such a great event