We were up early on Good Friday in an attempt to beat the traffic heading north. Transit NZ had opened the road over the Bryndrwyns just for easter. By 9am we were filling up at the Whangarei Caltex truck stop!
After a trip out to the coast to see if we could squeeze into a pop out there, we decided to keep going North and stopped in at The Kaikohe A&P and Equestrian centre.
Click on any Image to enlarge
Oodles of room
I stayed here years ago and its extremely good value on asphalt with plenty of powered sites with Toilets showers and a laundry. Just down the road is Ngawha Springs Hot Pools. Kaikohe is just 5 k’s or so away. Amazing!
The check in box used to be an old red Telephone box which is still here but barely red anymore but replaced with a small shed. The Laundry had an old washing machine and wringer is now replaced by a modern automagical machine so big improvements.
Ye olde Telephone box with cabin
A lovely quiet spot and a great place for 24 hours while we got our ongoing itinerary sorted 🙂
A local with their horse
There was lots of comings and goings and our neighbours from Matamata were telling us that they are having an Equestrian celebration in the hall the next night which they are setting up for.
Toilets, showers, Laundry and Dump Station !
A lovely safe, cost-effective spot for a day or three and nice people too.
Rafe’s tracker map to the Kaikohe A&P and Equestrian centre – Armada GPS
They never disappoint despite the fact that this was smaller than previous years. It was cancelled last year due to Covid too, so many were really looking forward to this one.
I arrived on the Wednesday afternoon to arrange the Dethleffs Owners group parking next in the Alexander Park carpark pretty much behind the scoreboard which was a primo spot.
Click on any Image to ENLARGE.
Dethleffs parking
There was a race meeting on the Friday night. Fiona came over after work in the car and we went out for tea at the Lone Star under one of the new Apartment buildings next to the grandstand. The front of the restaurant all opened up to the track so you could watch the racing which was amazing.
Alexander Park right next door.
When I was about 20 odd, one of my roles as a junior Herald Photographer was to do the night trots. It was a mission as the horses are largely black and the background is black too so a bit of chemical trickery was required to make it happen with the low light on film 🙂 think 1970’s.
Our parking for the event
With all the storms we’ve had recently, Alexander Park raceway suffered some pretty awful damage to their track and had to relay the track. The pile of shells was our windbreak from the southerly wind if one was to eventuate 🙂
On with the show …. One of the highlights of the show for me was to see the new Kiwi Caravan made by ACM Motorhomes. It’s called the Romotow and is modelled on the principle of a Swiss army knife.
The Robotow is a polished looking beast. I’ll let the pictures below tell the story. The list price is $429k.
Click on the Gallery below for an Enlarged Slideshow of the Romotow!
ACM is owned by a very clever qualified boatbuilder, Chris Cunard and they repaired my floor in Rafe a few years ago when it started to misbehave. I now have one of the few motorhomes in the world where the vinyl now matches across all the hatches in the floor! Very tidy job and you can see more on ACM here.
The Morelo Palace
The other thing I was pleased to see was the Morelo Palace with a small Toyota half out of the rear garage. They’re an impressive motorhome and have everything that opens and shuts.
Click on the Gallery below to see enlarged images of the Palace.
The trend to smaller Motorhomes and Caravans still seems to be the way things are going.
Click on the Gallery below for an Enlarged Slideshow.
The new Dethleffs Just Go on a Ford chassis.
Dethleffs Just Go
Dethleffs Just Go
Thredbo Caravan
Thredbo Caravan
Thredbo Caravan
Trailites
Interesting slide on Ute Motorhomes.
Central RV Caravans
Autotrail Tracker
There was an interesting little teardrop there too at 28k too.
It was nice to see the fine crew on the NZMCA stand again with #1 Motorhome.
The smiley faces at the NZMCA stand#1 NZMCA
The show was quite a bit smaller than previous years but just as interesting and with all the main players there.
RV Super CentreSecond Hand area outside.
A big thanks to David Culpan for helping us with the Dethleffs parking.
Rafe’s tracker map to our parking at Alexander Park. – Armada GPS
It was Saturday morning, and it was time for a bike ride!
At our Dethleffs Rally at the Happy Hour the evening before, we had sorted out somewhere to go so it was all on! The bikes were organised and led by Tony and Neal, 14 of us headed down through Cambridge towards the river and the start of the Trail.
Click on any Image to Enlarge
Our park at the Raceway
Some were heading all the way to Hamilton Gardens, some going to Tamahere to a Coffee Shop and others to the Velodrome.
The Bike group as we left
The Te Awa trail is all pretty new still but what an amazing setup. Because I went as far as Tamahere (40k round trip), I didn’t get to see all the flashest boardwalks over the river .. next time!
Amazing engineering
We left Cambridge at 10am and it took about 2.5 hours to do the round trip including a good stop for lunch 🙂 Very easy though on an electric bike.
I’d stupidly left my bike keys behind so couldn’t get my bike off the rack on the back of Rafe. The Kryptonite lock and cable is a force to be reckoned with, so it wasn’t even worth thinking about the grinder.
John very kindly lent me Kirsty’s bike as she wasn’t riding. The bike is fantastic but has an older electric system with a Turbo function which is a bit scary if you’re not used to it 🙂
The short version: I was about halfway along the trail when I came around a corner, but the turbo kept running quite a bit… ending with a full lock up of the brakes sideways into these massive retaining poles onto my shoulder.
Looking down to the river
Chris was just behind me and immediately stopped and said something like “that might hurt” 🙂 Initially it didn’t really. Back on the horse and we were off again 🙂
A stop half way
We were about halfway so by the time we got to the cafe; with my recently acquired sore ribs, I was looking forward to a rest.
On the way back
Although 14 started with us, several split off into different groups to go on to Hamilton Gardens or to the Velodrome.
Our crew on the way back
After about 20 minutes or so, we headed back to the Raceway… a lot of fun and a nice ride with good company. Thanks again to John and Kirsty for the use of their bike. A great day and a fantastic place to ride.
Steve biking backLooking down to the river
You can stay at The Cambridge Raceway if you’re a member of the NZMCA for just $10 a night so an easy base for the trail and you can go as far as you like in either direction.
These events are always fun to organise and fun to be at too. Organising this was made a lot easier by some useful tips from Brian who runs the Frankia group after they had a Rally here at Cambridge. Vicky who runs the event management at Cambridge was very helpful too along with Amy who works with her. Thanks heaps to those people for making it easy.
Click on any Image to Enlarge
Our park.
We all started arriving at the Racecourse around Midday and during the afternoon. As we were down in numbers from the Miranda do where we had 47 vans, we had 22 but I don’t think that we really had room for many more without splitting into two groups. Apparently, there was more parking just along by the stables. It worked and was very easy. We had some big gaps between us which was great.
I was really pleased to see quite a few new people with new Motorhomes and first timers at an event like this. Nice to see you guys too.
We now have 322 members in this group. These rally’s give you a great opportunity to mix with other Dethleff Owners and pick to their brains, tips and tricks with storage, electrical stuff, all sorts. So come and join us at the next one.
The Team .. click on this to enlarge.
As more people came in, there was lots of cruising around catching up with old friends and people checking on other Motorhomes. I even saw a few pairs of legs sticking out from under vehicles looking at things 🙂
An Interesting wrapped Dethleffs Esprit
Fiona was not feeling well so she decided to sit this one out and I made the stupid mistake of leaving all my bike keys behind so I couldn’t get my bike off the rack when the time came.
Kirsty and John very kindly lent me Kirsty’s bike as she wasn’t riding .. Nice bike and it was fun but there was an operator error oops 🙂 .. more on this later.
Lined up in the back row
That night, I had tea with my old friends, Walter and Nolina from Taupo who were parked right next door. The last time we caught up was at the Miranda do and it’s always nice to see them. They’re a lot of fun.
Happy hourHappy HourHappy hourNolina at the Happy Hour
Then it was time to go the Clubhouse Bar to watch the Warriors game. I’m not sure why I think this, but I often think I’m going to see them lose but they played brilliantly and won. Fantastic. It was a really good game, and I might have to watch them more often like I used to.
Click on the Gallery below for an Enlarged Slideshow
Great Tshirt.. probably quite true too 🙂
The next morning, I was surprised how many people were up early.
The cyclists amongst us were organising ourselves and getting ready to go. After a team photo, we were off!
The Bike group as we left
We were heading to the Velodrome and Tamahere. More on the Te Awa trail soon.
Arriving back at the Racecourse, it was almost time for that “Elbow Exercise” again. We started in earnest all sitting around our favourite tree until the heavens opened up with a brief downpour which surprised everyone!
There was quick retreat to the room which was available to us for wet weather at the bottom of the grandstand. Very civilised with a bit of an outlook to the track.
Dusk
Then it was time for Tea where simply had to lock up and head next door to the restaurant. Nice food, good service although they were struggling with one of their tills which wasn’t playing nicely but it was a great evening. Everyone seemed happy and most retreated back to entertain friends in or outside their vans.
Thanks everyone again for coming.
After the meal from the Restaurant
It all went really well. Our next major get together will be in Miranda sometime in August. It’s a popular place and easy to get to and a nice park.
Rafe’s Tracker map to Cambridge Raceway – Armada GPS
The new NZMCA park has been open for a few months now but what a spot.
Click on any Image to Enlarge
The Park
After several weeks of dreadful weather and with Rafe just sitting on the pad, it was time to bust out while the weather was good.
The pub in the background
We set off about lunchtime and headed down the Motorway and headed out towards Miranda with hardly any traffic on the roads at all. Arriving an hour or so later with the sun streaming down, we parked up at the Kaiaua Park. It’s a beauty! With the Bayview Hotel right next door with a track through to the pub and the famous Kaiaua fisheries next to them, there is definitely no excuse for being hungry or thirsty 🙂
The Bayview Hotel next door
After a visit to the pub and finding them busy, we decided on Fish and Chips, and they were huge! I kept a piece of fish for the next day 🙂
Kaiaua Fish and Chips!
After lunch at the Hotel, which was fantastic, we headed off to Rays Rest for an hour or two.
Click on the Gallery below for a look at Rays Rest
We have not been there since it was redeveloped by a storm a few years ago but it still looks pretty good to me.
Seafood Galore!
We decided not to stay though and headed back to Kaiaua and settled for a G&T at the Hotel.
The Marina
A fantastic park with room for Africa and having the Pub and Fish and Chip shop handy is a Real bonus!
Rafe’s Tracker map to Kaiaua NZMCA Park – Armada GPS
A favourite free parking spot for many.. on the coast north of Miranda.
Click on any Image to Enlarge
Lovely spot
This was probably one of our first parking spots when we first bought our Motorhome 8 or so years ago. Its handy to Auckland, its free and its easy.
Easy parking
If you want shops, museums and pubs, you don’t go to Rays Rest. This where peace and quiet happens with the odd sound of a vehicle whizzing past at 80 odd K.
Flying Kites .. perfect spotRafe on the edge
It’s a lovely spot to sit on a deck chair on the edge of the sand outside your Motorhome and watch the clouds go by.
People enjoying the sun
Its been a while since we were here and it was redeveloped by a big storm since our last visit but it still looks much the same. Just as good as it was.
Looking across to Thames
Well recommended if you live in Auckland, are finding diesel expensive and can’t decide where to go for a night or two.
We had been lucky dodging the worst of what was the storm Hale but the tail was alive and well.
Click on any Image to Enlarge
The iconic Lord of the Rings Isite centre in Matamata -iphone image
We decided to cut the trip a bit early and head for home via “somewhere in the Waikato”. Fiona wasn’t keen on Te Aroha as there had been some earthquakes there so that narrowed things down a bit.
It was pouring with rain with some big easterly puffs of wind and generally pretty unpleasant.
Great parking
I found getting through Tauranga with its Motorway system changes is always a mission and twice before I’d missed the turnoff to get to the Kaimais before Mt Maunganui and today we did it again. This time we followed a motorhome in front to see if he knew another way through, but it ended up being a case of the blind leading the blind and 15 minutes or so later, we were back where we started. We eventually found a tollway though to the Kaimais and were away laughing.
By the time we got across the Kaimai road, we were ready to call it quits and my immediate thought were Matamata for a late lunch and then Firth Tower… nice and close and since it has been about 6 years since we’ve been there, we were well overdue for another visit.
Firth Tower
It’s a great place and now run by the Matamata Historical Society has changed a lot since our last visit. It’s well worth looking at our last visit as we the pictures I took back then had the benefit of some good weather 🙂
Some of the neat buildings from around the district
The Motorhome Parking is now marked out and with more Powered sites and a complete overhaul of the loos, it’s a great spot for overnighting. It was also blowing dogs off chains, but we were well sheltered behind some big hedges and trees.
Click on the Gallery below to see this amazing Museum Enlarged
In the McCaw House
In the McCaw House
The school
A corrugate Iron Roller
Firth Tower
In the tower
As I’ve said, the remnants of the storm were still with us, and it looked a bit grim but check out the pictures for an overview. Check out our previous visit 6 or so years ago for some sunshine in the images 🙂
Looking down through the mirk from the tower.
A great spot to stay and good value for $15 per vehicle including power and access to loos and really nice people too.
Rafe’s Tracker map to The Firth Tower – Armada GPS
The next morning, we got fuel, filled up an LPG bottle which ran out and we were off up through the gorge towards Opotiki. I was quite looking forward to the drive as it is years since we’ve done this. It is actually quite a good road despite the potholes.
Click on any Image to Enlarge
Just over 2 hours later, we found ourselves coming into Opotiki where we stopped for something to eat and then onto Island View Holiday Park. It’s called that but due to the weather building up, you simply couldn’t see White Island at all through the murk.
Click on the Gallery below for an enlarged Slideshow
Volley Ball
Soaking it in
Great watching the waves
We’ve been to this park before just prior to one of the Covid lockdowns and being off season, it was $20 for two (Campsaver). There was no one else here!
Wild !
With it being top of the silly season, almost all of the Campgrounds in the Bay had cranked their prices to make the most of the demand and this park was no exception. We saw it as a treat for a couple of days. We’d done well over the previous week or so all good!
The Pool
The weather was closing in with wind and rain warnings and we were only just behind the sand dunes. A few went for a swim in the wild waters down by the surf club, but most went for the safer option in the camp pool.
The vibe was amazing with everyone having fun. There is a bike trail along behind the dunes but peters out both ways which confused a few people.
Spoilt for choice
The camp is well setup with multiple toilet and shower blocks, but it was just nice sitting down on the sand watching the waves crash and in a funny way, quite therapeutic 🙂
We stayed a couple of nights to hunker down for the worst of the weather that wasn’t as bad as predicted.
Nice people, a nice setup but now that I’m a pensioner, I might keep our next visit to off peak 🙂
On New Year’s Day we said goodbye to Steve and Rosemary. They were heading down towards Carterton.
Click on any Image to Enlarge
We were well overdue for a trip to Gisborne as it has been 7 years since our last visit!
We headed off via the coast up past Wairoa which seemed to go on forever. The forecast bad weather had arrived and was settling in.
We found a neat little Fish shop just by the turnoff to Mahia Peninsula which had the best Fish and Chips I’ve tasted for a long time then we headed off again up towards Gisborne.
The park
The new NZMCA park in Gisborne is a beauty right over the road from the beach. With the weather the way it was it was no real surprise to see a couple of cruise ships anchored off the coast.
Fiona checking out the cruise ships
The next day we spent the morning catching up with the Laundry, bedding and all. It was nice to have a everything clean again. After that we headed off to find a nice Cafe for some lunch and got some more groceries while we were right next to a 4 Square.
Waikanae BeachFiona on the beach
The new park is a cracker with the beach right over the road.
Well done to the local crew for the Garden Art, it looks great.
It was New Year’s Eve. We left the Hawkes Bay Golf club reasonably early so we could find a good spot at Eriksen Park. It was busy but there were plenty of gaps.
Click on any Image to Enlarge
The Dethleff corner. Steve and Rosemary’s Esprit, Rafe and Ian and Erik’s Esprit.
We’d only driven about halfway into the park when we spotted an older Dethleffs Esprit with some big gaps alongside, so I parked alongside and Steve next to us. Easy.
Busy at Eriksen Park
After we’d opened vents and settled in, off came the bikes and the four of us set off to Napier for lunch. It was nice to see some of the old cars cruising the streets.
Click on the Gallery below for an Enlarged Slideshow
The Dethleff Corner
Rosemary feeling the cold on New Year’s Eve.
Steve bat the Wine Bar
Rosemary and Fiona at the Wine Bar
Setlling down for lunch
The wine bar.. amazing place
We then went to the famous Masonic Hotel for a drink but after less than ½ hour, we were told they were closing so we moved to this amazing wine bar just down the road that Steve knew about, where we were entertained by really good German host who really looked after us.
At Napier shops about to have lunch. Steve, Fiona and Rosemary. Check out the car going past.On the way back to Eriksen into the gale !
At least an hour went by, maybe more 🙂 and we set off back to Eriksen on our bikes along the waterfront. The easterly wind had really got up, so the electric assistance was cranked to the max 🙂
Ian, Rosemary, Steve, Fiona and Erik enjoying a New Years eve Happy Hour.
The owners of the older Esprit came back in their Toad, and we went over and met them. Nice guys from up by Kaitaia, Eric and Ian. They later came over and joined us for a New Year’s Eve drink.
Bliss
After tea, we sat outside while it got a bit cooler and waited for the fireworks.
A really good day on the bikes again with friends.
Bugger It, we are off - www.buggeritweareoff.com 
You must be logged in to post a comment.