All posts by Chris Miller - Buggeritweareoff.com

Founder and Creator of Buggeritweareoff.com. Ex Newspaper Photographer and Commercial Photographer for more than 40 years.
Taranaki 2024

Catching up with Good Friends in Wanganui

Our old neighbours from Devonport, Terry and Lisa moved to Wanganui quite a few years ago and lived directly across the road from us for many years. Terry was involved in the bag business for many years, and I photographed his bags for his catalogues, both on film and digital for many years.

My endearing memory of Terry was him on our doorstep in his dressing gown early on the morning of 9/11 getting us up and getting in front of the TV where we remained glued to the set for hours! It was a memorable day.

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Wanganui River

We last caught up with them a few years ago when we popped into Wanganui and had a meal with them at Carolines, a neat Restaurant that used to have an attached camping area which is sadly now closed.

Us parked next to Terry and Lisa’s new house.

Stepping back to the travel…. After leaving Tawhiti, we headed on to Terry and Lisa’s new House in Wanganui and a very fortuitous empty section next door 🙂

Fantastic to see them again and catch up with all our news. They’re a great couple and the meal was fantastic. Their house is really nice and perfect for them with minimal maintenance.

In the morning, Terry took us to show us his Warehouse for his Luggage business.

Lovely old buildings

After we left Terry and Lisa, we went on into Wanganui central to have a quick look at the river before we left via Marton to head for a favourite spot at Mangaweka on our trek home.

The tram rumbling by on the waterfront

Thanks again for having us for tea and it was lovely to see you in your new house.

Rafe’s tracker map to Tawhiti Museum and onto Wanganui – Armada GPS
Taranaki 2024

Tawhiti Museum

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This is an amazing place setup by Nigel Ogle in an old disused Dairy Factory on the outskirts of Hawera.

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One of the smaller Diorama’s in the Cafe

Nigel has put this together from scratch including making all the characters and models and the attention to detail is absolutely stunning.

It is split into several sections and the last time we were here, we only had time to do one section (several hours). This time we were going to try one of the ones we missed last time, being the Traders and Whalers.

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In the mower section
The shop

After parking and checking in, we set off to the Traders and Whalers section where we guided through some fairly dimly lit tunnels with some amazing life-sized dioramas with hugely detailed people with flax, rifles, boats and everything to do with early NZ.

Parking area

We were then led to a big underground cave like area with a moat and a 20 odd person boat. With some others, we got into it and were taken through an amazing area of sound, light and more life-sized dioramas of early New Zealand showing early Maoris trading flax and Muskets with settlers. So well done. I believe it was a collaborative effort with Weta Workshop, so I wasn’t able to photograph any of it. Just amazing and a must see.

Trading

After that we went through to see some smaller displays of early whaling and trading then onto the Cafe for a really nice coffee. They have an amazing selection of traditional cakes, and we chose a couple of beauties.

In the Tractor area

Across the road is very easy Motorhome parking on a big patch of grass next to the car parking.

As I said a must see if you’re in the area.

Rafe’s tracker map to Tawhiti Museum and onto Wanganui – Armada GPS
Classic Boating

Auckland Regatta Tug and Launch display.

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Well, the wind blew, and the spray went everywhere but it was a great sight, seeing the Tugs come roaring down the harbour and then the Launches with their display.

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Sterling leading the Tugs. Sterling is a quick boat. It has won many Classic boat races.

There weren’t the numbers we’ve seen in the past, but it was still a good show.

The tugs were led by Sterling which has won many classic boat races. Te Hauraki was in the hunt too until it retired by the container terminal.

My Girl leading the charge of the Launches
My Girl heading back to the finish with other Launches behind.

Jason Prew led the Launches in My Girl and several others followed on behind, kicking up the spay as they went.

The pictures below tell the story.

Check out the Galleries below by clicking on them.

The Tugs Race.

Sterling leading the Tugs. Sterling is a quick boat. It has won many Classic boat races.

The Launch Rally.

The spray around Jason Prew’s boat My Girl.

Just to compare it to a previous year..

Great entertainment just a short walk from our front door in Devonport 🙂

Taranaki 2024

Charming Stratford

One of the great discoveries here was the wonderful A&P Showgrounds parking for Motorhomes. Great level parking an easy walk from the town and the local Countdown supermarket. This is usually a town I drive straight through, usually in too much of a hurry to get somewhere.

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Mt Egmont behind

We arrived here on New Years Day after a great night at Ninia Park, so nothing was open except for the supermarket.

Looking back from the grandstand

After settling down, plugging in and opening vents, I got the bikes down and we went for a bit of a nosey trough the town. We found King Edward Park in the centre of Stratford with the Patea River running through it.

Patea River

There are several bridges and nice tracks through. After an hour or so of finding our way through here we headed back to Rafe via the supermarket for Tea.

Fiona on the bridge in King Edward Park

On the way out to Hawera, I looked at stopping in at The Stratford Pioneer Village on the southern side of the town. I had been here before and done a blog on it which you can see here.

Downtown Stratford

It’s a lovely wee town and very easy parking at the Showgrounds.

Rafe’s tracker map to Stratford A&P Grounds – Armada GPS
Taranaki 2024

New Years Eve Music at Ninia

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One of my all-time favourite park over properties in the North Island is Kevin and Lynda’s Ninia. I came here about 18 months ago for the first time and spent a few days here and it was fantastic.

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The evening’s entertainment in full swing

Kev and Lynda are Country Music specialists, and both have great voices so it was a given that some stage, they would appear, and the music would happen.

Lynda on the right
A happy looking Kevin on his bike.

There are 8 or so powered sites along with a big, newly extended happy shed and all the parking areas are well protected from the wind by huge sheltering hedges. The NZMCA dump station is just around the corner as is water so it’s all here.

The Powered sites with the happy hour shed in the distance.

Fiona and I dropped in pretty much unannounced after a brief phone conversation with Kevin to say there was a hole that we could park in, so we were on our way.

We were met by Mike the friendly caretaker who I met when I was here last time who has his own amazing electric bike with massive grass tyres.. perfect for the job and Mike squeezed us into a nice, protected corner close to the happy hour shed and a hole through the hedge to the stage. Perfect!

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Mike on his amazing Bike.
Us in our wee corner. Behind us was a walkway/tunnel through the hedge to the Happer hour shed on the other side.
The extra Caravan area
On the way to the concert
A hole in the hedge
People enjoying the afternoon music.
Lynda on the right
Nice to see the sun in the morning

New Years Eve was going to be fun, and we were looking forward to it. Kevin and Lynda’s team had set up a Marquee to protect against inclement weather that was forecast but as it turned out, they were just the odd shower and people still got out and danced the night away.

There were various singers and musicians who appeared from Motorhomes and Caravans and had turns on the stage so it an interesting mix of talent with both Kevin and Lynda also getting involved.

Having fun with the audience behind.

A great night, fantastic fun and we all woke up to a lovely sunny morning to dry out the grounds.

A truly fantastic place to stay and there are always good sounds coming out from that stage on most weekends.

Rafe’s tracker map to Ninia for the New Years Eve concert – Armada GPS
Taranaki 2024

Dethleffs in the Driveway

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As we left Mokau, we were invited along with Steve and Rosemary to stay at Greg and Shona’s place in New Plymouth. They are also part of the Dethleffs Owners team and Graeme and Shirley were going to be there too.

Us on the left in front, Steve and Rosemary’s Esprit GT behind and to the right, Greg and Shona’s Advantage.

I was a wee bit nervous after repairing part of my Chassis at the back which gets scraped occasionally on high forecourts and driveways as there was a huge camber at the end of the driveway, but no damage was done 🙂

It was lovely to catch up with Greg and Shona and it was very kind of them to put us all up in their driveway with power too!  We had a fantastic dinner together and a lovely night in the driveway.

In the morning we all set off in different directions. Fiona and I set off to New Plymouth city to see the famous Len Lye Gallery and have some lunch and Fiona was keen to see some shops 🙂

The Len Lye centre with the White Swan behind.

Our next destination was all about New Years eve 🙂

The reflection of the White Swan hotel in the Len Lye centre

Thanks again guys for having us in your driveway and thanks for a great night. It was great to see Graeme and Shirley again too.

Rafe’s tracker map to Waitara – Armada GPS
Taranaki 2024

Lovely spot at Mokau

The ride though to Mokau from Otorohanga was pretty good but the forecast was for plenty of rain, so I wondered about the Tainui Wetere Domain campsite which is all grass.  I needn’t have worried as underneath the grass was all sand and only puddles around were pretty much on the road in.

A Great atmosphere

I’ve driven past this Campground run by the local community by the rugby grounds and after reading its rave reviews, I was keen like Steve to stay here. It’s a fabulous place right next to a lagoon with very sheltered swimming for the children.

Settling in at Mokau
The two Dethleffs.

After parking up, I slotted straight into a powered site and Steve popped in beside us. I was surprised we’d be able to get a powered site as it was really busy, but most were happy to be without.

Steve and I went for a walk down to the beach for a look around. It’s an amazing spot.

The wee estuary beyond the sandhills
A bit choppy further out
The two Dethleffs at Waitara

Another great night of catching up together and in the morning, we all set off towards Waitara for a quick stop at a supermarket and where Steve knew of a spot to have lunch by a fantastic raging sea… it made some nice images.

The water at Waitara

After a cup of tea and a look about, we set off to New Plymouth.

Rafe’s tracker map to Mokau – Armada GPS
Taranaki 2024

New Year in Taranaki – Otorohanga

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We had just finished a great Christmas with our family, and it was time to head off to a long-awaited trip to Taranaki. Last year, I had done several trips to New Plymouth to meet up with old work colleagues from my days at the Herald and for a Hospice Auction. But it was all very quick and like a sprint from Auckland and back. This time, we could have bit of a nosey round.

The park

We left Auckland early, but it still took over an hour to get through the Takanini/Papakura area on the Motorway. The traffic was diabolical, and this was on the 27th.

A great hobby to take away.

After getting through there, it was easy peasy all the way to Otorohanga where we were meeting up with friends from the Dethleffs Owners Group, Steve and Rosemary. They had come down the day before and were very ready with a park right next to them at the NZMCA park which made things really easy. Here is an interesting link about their railway station 🙂

Rosemary and Fiona under the awning.
Steve and Rosemary’s Esprit GT with the back of Rafe appearing behind.

We had a great night with them… It was really nice to catch up with them again.

The Railway station the next morning
Parking beside the Railway. Steve and Rosemary on the left.

In the morning we headed into Otorohanga town and had lunch in a cafe and quick look around before heading off towards New Plymouth.

Rafe’s tracker map to Otorohanga – Armada GPS
Great Beaches, South Island 2017

Waipu Cove – Stunning Spot

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I’ve been meaning to pop in here for years but because we have several friends near here, it never seems to work out.

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We left Colins POP early in the morning in Mangawhai and cruised over the hill past Langs Beach and onto Waipu Cove. It really is a stunning little spot well served by a great Restaurant, a Dairy and a Fish and Chip shop.

Our neighbours at Waipu

We checked into the Waipu Cove campground with a very smiley Jemma on the front desk. You know its always going to go well when you get greeted like that 🙂 She was very helpful and pointed us to a parking spot right behind the sandhills by the beach.

Click on the Gallery below for an Enlarged Slideshow

Looking up towards Ruakaka
Great showers and nice ablution blocks.
Lots of space with big parks.

After settling down Rafe, opening vents and plugging in and finding out where everything was, we checked out the beach and then, decided to walk down to the Cove Restaurant (same organisation as in Mangawhai and very good!)

Back towards the Cove

They gave us an amazing, shared platter with bits of everything starting with Oysters and Pork belly… just fantastic and as we couldn’t do full meals, just perfect along with a Gin and a Chardy 🙂

Fiona walking up the beach.

A well spent couple of hours here and we crossed the road and walked back to the campground along the beach and through the sandhills. Just a wonderful spot.

Waipu campground. oodles of room.

A few brave souls were in the water and although I did twitch for a swim, by the time I was ready to get in, the clouds rolled in, so it didn’t happen 🙂

Fantastic beach

After an afternoon of chatting with others and sitting on the beach, we walked just outside the campground gates to get Fish and Chips.

Looking back from the sandhill, you can see Rafe in the corner of the hedge.

Another Fantastic day, not doing a lot but great weather generally, nice people and a lovely spot.

Our spot at Waipu Cove.. you can see the sandhills behind.

We’ll be back here, it’s all just so easy and that beach!

Rafe’s tracker map to Waipu Cove – Armada GPS
Northland

Weekend away at Mangawhai

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After almost a month of sitting in one spot, it was time to blow out the cobwebs with a quick trip away for the weekend. Fiona was keen to go to the markets at Mangawhai so Mangawhai it was.

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Looking out over the Estuary

We found a great wee pop up on the hill above the village close to the markets. Colin has a house up behind the shops and provides power and water and a great view. It is also a very easy walk to the shops.

Looking out at Dusk
The view from Rafe in Mangawhai

We arrived there about 7:30 odd on the Friday night and slotted in on a compacted grass are looking right out over the estuary.

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Us up on the hill
The Pie Caravan !
The Entrance to Bennets Chocolate Shop
The outside of bennetts
The popular shop in Mangawhai.. Sausages in bread 🙂
A new shopping centre
Cove Restaurant where we had lunch
The view down to the Village

The next morning, we woke up to a sunny day and after getting organised walked down to the village and the markets at the primary school. It’s a great atmosphere with everyone having fun and getting into the swing of it.

Arriving at the Markets

The great find for me was a caravan there selling these amazing pies. The owner was a real foodie who used to run a local restaurant and now make the pies and sell them locally. The coffee was something else too. I had a Lamb and Mint pie, and Fiona had a Curried Fish. both amazing!

At the Bennetts Coffee shop
Bennetts Chocolates

After this we walked back to the main shops from the school and after a coffee and a visit to Bennetts Chocolates (who could resist!) we stopped in for lunch at the Cove restaurant.

Cove Restaurant where we had lunch

Then it was back to Rafe. A great day of Sunshine, Great Food and Coffee in a lovely spot.

Rafe’s tracker map to Mangawhai – Armada GPS