Fiona had left Bland Bay and was heading back to town to do other things .. and work so she suggested that I spend another night out on the way back. We stopped in Waipu and had lunch and then Fiona went on to Auckland.
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The cricket pitch with the campground behind
I rang the good folk at one of my favorite spots when the weathers good, Whangateau by Matakana. A great campground run by Auckland City.
In the Grandstand
Today was a bit different as when I arrived, the tide was out and there was a friendly game of cricket with two families involved. One was from Whangaparoa and the other from the UK visiting. They were having a ball. I had to get some piccies.
Looking out to Omaha
Kids enjoying the pontoon
The Estaury
It is a fascinating place to watch as the tide comes in really quickly covering hundreds of metres of exposed mud in just under an hour… Amazing to watch.
The water is coming in
A nice campground if you’re looking for somewhere not to far from Auckland. See my earlier Whangateau post here.
The last time we stayed at Wenderholm, we stayed in the public carpark by the beach. Although we had a great night and its a great spot,  compared to other Auckland CSC parks where Motorhomers were safely fenced off, this was somewhat of a disappointment.
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After discussing this with our veteran Auckland parks motorhoming friends, Rob and Helen, they told us that the Schischka park was THE place to go so here we were and it was fabulous.
There is a big electric gate with a digital keypad and after a 500 metre driveway it opens up to a massive grassed parking area by the water with brand new flush toilets in the middle. There are also some baches where you can stay if you don’t have your own accommodation.
Schiska house where you can stay
Schiska House from the CSC parking
The new loos
Rafe parked with the Estuary
The Puhoi Estuary
The Walk to the beach
Couldrey House
The Beach
We could only spend one night here but it is stunning. We went for a walk down a waterfront track to the beach and checked out the old Historic Couldrey House. There are new toilets there too. There are walks all over the hill there too so plenty to do and see.
The camp from the Estaury
A great place to stay and so handy to the big smoke of Auckland too.
One of Rafe’s tracking maps below.
With no jobs in the book and with the sun shining, it was time to hit the road. I had just paid for a years Auckland City Parks pass so I thought I’d try Tauwharanui at the end of the Takatu peninsula, north of Kawau Island.Â
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Stunning!
We stayed here more than a year or so go with friends, Gary, Chris and Rob, Helen and Chloe. We only had the one night here so exploring the area wasn’t really on the agenda that particular trip but it’s just a magic place.
At Dusk .. Little Barrier
When I first arrived, I think there was only 1 other person here and I bumped into him on the beach. He’d parked down in the tents only area but I assumed he knew 😀
The next day, I set out with the camera to have a nosy around. The beach is beautiful with Little Barrier just off it and Great Barrier further out. Compared to Auckland, you could almost reach out and touch them.
New Dunes
Rafe tucked in
The Camping area for tent people
The water is stunning with a clean deep blue merging into Turquoise, just like the tropics with beautiful white sand. As you walk further, the beach merges with two more, all part of Anchor Bay.. Just beautiful. I spent a couple of hours just sitting on a rock under a tree just admiring the colours.. sensational.
Beach from Heaven
After getting some nice piccies, I wandered back to the track to find that I’d forgotten which of the many tracks took me back to Rafe. I ended up walking about 3ks just to find my way back 😎 I can hear Fiona saying something like good exercise !
The long road back after the “wrong turn”
At nearly 600 hectares of Regional park, it’s a huge place and there are plenty of interesting walks to go on. There are information boards to guide the way with brochures available. No Dogs as its a pest proof and kiwi zone.
Just behind the sand dunes
A fabulous place and not too far from the big smoke at Auckland.Â
I  can see myself spending lots of time here. 😎
And a screen grab from Rafe’s new tracker system to show its location.
And how we got here, from Rafe’s Tracker system
The Netspeed speed test here..given how isolated it is, this a great result.
Test Date: 3/11/2016 11:49 AM
Download: 15.38 Mbps
Upload: 2.76 Mbps
Ping: 46 ms
We were going to take our grandson Ayden for a school holiday trip to Rotorua but unfortunately, he came down with a germ and after another night with his Mum and Dad on the ranch in Ardmore, he was still too crook to travel.
Fiona and I thought we’d try a new campground out at Martins Bay at the end of the Mahurangi Peninsula overlooking Moturekareka Island and also a bit of Kawau. A lovely part of the world and we were pretty much the only people there on our second night.
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Rafe looking lonely
The Motorcamp is one of the Auckland City commercial campgrounds like Whangateau and Orewa. They were having an off peak special of $15 a person so given the rain and the showers were rolling through, we thought we’d give a shot.
Powered sites along the beachfront
Its a huge campground with lots of permanent caravans with decks and addons but there are also plenty of powered sites, I think in the region of 130 odd I saw somewhere.
The Balcony parking up the top.
Caravans everywhere you looked
Washing Time
The boat wash down area (coin operated)
Holiday Homes
Looking down at Martins from the Scandretts track
A Kowhai half way up to Scandretts
Martins Bay with Kawau Island
A good facilities block with token and 50c showers and a well setup kitchen and TV room. Being in a popular fishing area, there is a boat and fish washing area and a separate storage area for boats and tractors.
Above the main part of the campground on a hill, there is a raised area with views over the whole bay where you stay if you pay a wee bit more.
From the Scandretts track with Martins bay and Whangaparoa in the distance
On our first full day, we set off along the beach past heaps of baches for a walk up to Scandretts Park. Its an easy walk up a well worn track up to the top of the hill and you can walk down to Scandretts Bay, or several tracks take you out to a pah at the end of the point. The views are amazing.
Scandretts Bay looking towards Takatu Peninsula
We had rolling showers with lots of fine periods while we were there and they had just had lots of rain so quite a bit of the park was roped off to recover.
Moturoa Island and Whangaparoa in the distance
A nice park which IÂ reckon would be packed in summer and very handy to Kawau Island and the other islands.
The forecast was definitely sorting out our location for us this weekend.. Parakai so we were plugged in for the heat and close to the pools. Parts of the Hawkes Bay was without power and roads were closed everywhere with snow. Somewhere warm and close by was the order of the day.
The last time we were at Parakai, it was hosing down and there was mud everywhere. It was very much the same this time except we were lucky in that we got to see a lot more of the sun but jeepers it was cold!
Muddy bits roped off. All the grass was muddy. Gary and Chris’s Fuso next to us. The latecomer with his wheels down next on the right.
One of our neighbours who arrived later in the night missed the concrete strips (easy to do) and his rear dual wheels were a good 4-6 inches down in the mud.
The pools were fantastic and it was nice to see our fulltiming friends, Gary and Chris again after their trip up North.
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I had just bought a new toy through the Noel Leeming / NZMCA discount scheme. It was a Philips Induction plate and what a little beauty. I’d just put enough frozen peas in the pot for four with some warm water. Then I hit the go button, wow, I wasn’t timing it but it wouldn’t have been much more than a minute and it was ready to eat. Then we did the steaks in a Staub pan while the girls were getting some chips from over the road. These took a lot longer and as its so easy to control the heat, better cooked and quicker than gas.  Well worth getting.
After a good feed, we blobbed for a while and then went for a swim. Later, Chris made some nice scones for tea and we had a couple of glasses of Italian red to finish the day.
Gary and Chris headed off for Rays Rest and we headed home.
A nice weekend and despite the cold, Parakai definitely looks better when the sun is beating down.
With a great forecast for the weekend after weeks of wind and rain, friends Rob and Helen were keen to get away. “Were we doing anything this weekend?” Was the question. We’re joining you guys at Sullivan’s Bay which is where they were keen to go.Â
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As far as the eye can see. Looking down to Sullivans Bay
A lovely day but it was cold so after topping Rafe up with water, we were off.
Helen walking past Rafe
We arrived at Sullivan’s Bay about midday and Helen arrived back from Snells beach not long after.
The last time we were here the weather was awful. Because it has been wet, the self contained area was closed and we were parked just outside on the grass.
Although we were only 50 feet or so outside the SCC area, the Internet reception was almost non existent but from inside the SCC area, we got a better signal without aerials! Interesting!
We arrived back to Sullivans about 5:30 and with a snacky tea of meatballs in Rob and Helens Tracker and after a  few glasses of nice wine, we were ready to hit the hay. A very pleasant day.
Rafe and the Tracker..
The next morning Rob and Helen left early. I went down to watch a couple go for a swim. It was 4C and at dawn was -2C! They weren’t in long and I think even the seagulls were shocked.Â
It was -2 C that morning. Even the Seagulls look worried!
A nice spot in paradise. Â Yes, I know, I’ve raved about this place before but it is really nice!
Its not quite what it sounds like. I’ve just had an implant in one of my front teeth  and it’s amazing how groggy and dozy you can feel for days afterwards from all the rocket fuel that’s loaded into your veins. All for a good cause of course 🙂
To keep things simple and because it was wet and rainy, we thought we’d try the Parakai Hot Springs park near Helensville. As it was reasonably close and we thought a nice blob out spot with the pools.
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A bit wet but nice park environment
The lady at the counter was great fun and after telling me that Fiona was a senior, and we had a good giggle at that, she gave us all the info we needed and we headed off to our parking spot.
Because it has been so wet, they only had 7 concreted parking spots for motor homes but there are a lot more for when it’s dry.
It’s well set up with a big toilet and kitchen block in the middle and some permanent caravans down at the other end. Every second parking spot has a rubbish bin and tap. The bin was emptied every morning. There is also a security man parked in the corner.
A Dethleffs XLI at the end with us next to it. Eric and Lyns Hymer second from the right.
After parking, we set off to have a swim. Two big pools, one outdoor which is cooler and a nice hot one indoors. Â There were lots of people there swimming and also enjoying food from the on site cafe.
The entrance to the pools and where you pay for the campground.
People enjoying the indoor pool
The indoor pool
The slide
The cooler outdoor pool
Playground for the kids (or grandkids)
A chap on a plinth
Camping
Some of the permanent caravans
The toilet/shower and kitchen block
On getting back to Rafe, we met our neighbours Eric and Lyn from Orewa with their C class Hymer and their friends from Warkworth.  You don’t see many of these  Hymers around. Their one came from the UK originally. Nice little van.  I joined them in between rain showers on one of the barbeque tables for a cold one.
On the second night we met neighbours on the other side in their near new Dethleffs XLI. Ian and Lynne have sold their house, bought the van and are fulltiming! Way to go! They came over to Rafe and we solved the worlds problems for an hour or two, as you do.
Fiona enjoying they heat (Cell ph pic)
I have to say it’s definitely a nice close option for my favourite hot pool park at Miranda.
It’s not quite as flash as Miranda but its clean, tidy and perfectly functional. We didn’t see it at its best as there was rain, thunder and high winds but a very pleasant place to stay.  At $28 a night, I think its pretty good value and power is free for NZMCA members.(included in the $28)
After a weekend of babysitting our grandsons, we spent a night at a place we’ve never really parked at before at Gulf Harbour.
Having seen Gulf Harbour one weekend at its worst where everyone was parked between inches of each other. No 3 metre gaps at all, that was the end for me for parking there overnight.
On the way back from Ardmore, I dropped Fiona off in the city as she had missed the train from Papakura to meet her sister from Waiheke, for a girlie lunch and fun in the shops.
Heading north, I went straight for Fairway Bay thinking its either going to be chocker block in which case I’d go to Shakespeare park or it’ll be great. There are only 6 parks there but at $10 with power its a great spot with the parking on a shell base over clay.
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Today was going to be a great day. There was heaps of room and only a 5th wheeler there. It turns out it was his first night out with it and he was a very happy chap.
I went for a walk around to where the Hobbs Bay Market is held every week just behind the parking. There is a Restaurant / Bar there too and lots of big boats.
Some nice boats here
Hobbs Bay Market venue
Later getting back to Rafe, I got a phone call from Fiona to say that she had seen her sister and was catching the Gulf Harbour Ferry up to join me. While that was happening, Kim and Ali from Motueka parked up in their Nissan Civilian bus. They have taken a year off and are touring the country and having some fun.
Rafe with the wee communal area in the middle.
Not long after they had arrived, Kim had decided to check his Oil and water and as he checked the water, he dropped his radiator cap down into his engine. It was sitting on a ledge in the bottom of the radiator but you couldn’t see it, feel it or reach down there to get it.
Stressful ! I found a couple of tools in my kit and after half an hour or so of going no where, it was time to ring the AA man.
From the carpark. Nicely fenced off.
I went and picked up Fiona from the ferry on the other side of the harbour and returned to our park. Ali and Kim came over for a cold one or three. The AA man arrived about 15 minutes later and after putting a magnet down to where he thought it would be, he fished it out within minutes of his arrival. Isn’t it great to have an expert on hand when you need them 🙂
With the stress gone, it was time for one more to celebrate. A great night in a nice spot right next to the water. Great value and the chap that runs the marina parking is great to deal with too.
A very happy Kim ready for Northland
Ali and Kim are heading up north today while we came home to do our GST and do some washing !!
One of the nice things about travelling in a Motorhome is visiting all the out of town village like shopping areas and the Farmers Markets.
Fun in the Sun
While we were staying in Ardmore recently, we visited the Clevedon Farmers Market which is just out of the village but well signposted.
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Coastguard Donations
Busy carpark
Smoothie time
The vege department
Kids enjoying themselves
Always somewhere to rest
Even a motorhomer
You know you’re in a rural spot when you see this.
We found out very quickly how popular this is when we first looked for a park. Its amazing, people everywhere.
There is everything from Veges, Cheeses, Spices and Jams all with some live music and a hay bale to sit on. Its a great atmosphere.
The weather wasn’t really behaving itself when we went with showers but it didn’t seem to worry anyone with lots of shelter there.
Sunday mornings from 9am – 1pm.. well worth a visit. If you want to park there with your motorhome, get there early 🙂
After spending a couple days with a sudden lurgy and coming right, we needed to get out into some fresh air. Where better than the free parking at Gulf Harbour but by the time we got ourselves organised, it was 3pm. Maybe it might be Shakespeare Park I thought as it would probably be busy at Gulf Harbour. After trucking along the bends and obstacles along the length of Whangaparoa we arrived at Gulf Harbour. It was chocker! No sign of the 3 metre rule even.. Every single space was full. Most unpleasant I thought and dangerous so off to Shakespeare it was.
Auckland City from the beach
My only hesitation with the Auckland Parks is not the money. It’s just the tedious system they have to clock in each time. I tried to be helpful with the nice lady on the phone and suggested that they need someone to write an app for phones or iPads but that didn’t seem to be well received. I thought after I got off the phone that suggestion was probably going to do her out if a job.. Silly me!
Our Neighbours
Anyway, Shakespeare CSC park is a lovely place to stay and well worth the effort. We arrived just as the sun was lowering with a nice red warm tint over everything. With no wind, it was nice and warm. There were a few Motorhomes and a couple of caravans. Three Motorhomers I talked to were quite local, two from Helensville looked like they might be brothers with their families and an older couple from Orewa. Nice.
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Ships waiting out by Rangitoto
Visitors from Hawkes Bay
Pu, one of two Pukekos wandering around
Looking out towards the public parking
Rafe in the Self Contained camp
As it got later, the day trippers all left and we were left to the peace and quiet. We cranked up the Internet to see how it would go. Our neighbours from Helensville couldn’t get data but could get texts so it’s not a flash area for throughput. I did a speed test and got 3.5 Mbps down and 2.8mbs up so not great but about the adsl speeds we used to get in Devonport so based on that, pretty good really. Fiona was back into her movie on Netflix so she was happy.
The Beach
We had a good lie in as it was Sunday.. Be rude not to I thought. I immediately thought of our friends Gary and Dianne who have me on about “not being a morning person”  as it got later and we were still lying in the scratcher reading the papers on our ipads😎.
We were a bit shy in the vege department so we got up and scooted along the road to the Manly vege shop and had a wee drive around the Manly waterfront. A few gave us a few strange looks as we got Rafe around the narrow windy back streets but all good. After getting back to Shakespeare, most of our neighbours were leaving or about to leave and we had the place to ourselves.
The eastern camp
Eastern Camp
Eastern Camp
We had some lunch and went for a walk down to see the other campground at the end of the beach for the non self contained. It’s a lovely spot with flashish toilets and a place to wash your dishes. A much bigger park with lots of picnic tables scattered around and rubbish tins. Nicely setup I thought.
Fiona checking out the Beach. Auckland in the distance
Then came a walk along the beach through lots of Oyster catchers and seagulls back to Rafe. A nice place to stay. We’ll be back!
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