It is a really handy spot and this is where one of the most recently opened NZMCA parks is.
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Plenty of flat room
On one side is the main rd northwards to Pukenui and beyond up to Cape Reinga and the other side has a river winding its way past. It’s a lovely flat site.
Fantastic spot to park
I was intrigued by the sign in hut or cupboard as it really is. The face on profile looks like a significant small building but if you look at the side profile, its looks very different 🙂 Very clever.
The front profile 🙂The side profile of the “shed”
We had spent the previous two nights up at Pukenui intending to drive up to Cape Reinga but after coming across a company based in Kaitaia only 7 k’s or so down the road, they suggested that we get ourselves here before 9am the next morning so they could pick us up before heading up the beach to Cape Reinga. They had a modified Truck which was a Petrol Tanker in a past life and modified it for use on the beach with 4-wheel drive and sand tyres. .. so here we are..
Nice safe spot
The Caravanner next door had his two grandsons with him and was catching the same bus. The park is fantastic and makes life very easy to plan your way around Northland. Well done to the volunteers who set it up.
Rafe’s tracker map to the Awanui NZMCA park – Armada GPS
While were cruising north, we stopped in to the Pukenui Holiday Park to find they had some room and at a reasonable rate. The wind was blowing, and the rain was threatening so power was a must. A nice park spread out over two levels with little plateaus of space for both Caravans and Motorhomes. There are also some cabins too.
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Neat Paint job
They also had some very tame small ponies and sheep helping with the grass and entertaining small children. Jo the owner has been here for 20 years or so and with Tania, they were both very helpful.
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Quirky Cabins
Dethleffs Corner
Great Cafe, 4 Square and Liquor shop a few minutes walk
Houhora Harbour
A really interesting park with handy access to the harbour and lots of places for walking.
Down by the water
5 minutes walks down the road is a nice cafe, 4 square and Bottle store and a bit further on is the jetty overlooking the Houhora harbour. Very popular fishing spot and they tell me that a Kingi can be caught in minutes 🙂
Great Cafe, 4 Square and Liquor shop a few minutes walkGreat big parks
A nice park but while we were there, I got on to a company in Kaitaia that did 4-wheel drive bus trips up to Cape Reinga with a guide and went up the beach. Thats us we thought but we had to get back to Awanui (The NZMCA park) where they could pick us up on route. .. Fantastic!
Rafe’s tracker map to the Pukenui Holiday Park – Armada GPS
Years ago, we had friends up here who lived in Hihi. We used to come up here and stay over the New Year period with them and other friends. We stayed in a pup tent under a Ti Tree:-) It was always heaps of fun and Mangonui was the local big town if you like.
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The Famous Mangonui Fish Shop
So, Mangonui was on the must do list for this trip. We stopped at a parking area just as you enter the town with Toilets, a dump station and is also a freedom camping area between the trees. A nice spot.
The parking by the water.. Toilets, and Dump station along with freedom camping.The Old Oak Boutique Hotel
We then walked about 15 minutes around to Mangonui Fish shop passing all the lovely historic buildings, the Pub, a big shopping building, the over the water 4 square store, and lastly the fish shop.
Walking along the waterfrontThe 4 Square shop
It’s a great spot and the fish is so fresh having the boats come in right next door. Some of the Lemon fish is actually caught from the shop.
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The parking by the water.. Toilets, and Dump station along with freedom camping.
Opposite the parking area
The walk into Maunganui
The Old Oak Boutique Hotel
The Famous Manganui Fish Shop
Local Fishing wharf
The Hotel
Neat Buildings
The walk back to Rafe
After an hour or so of indulging in this delicious food, we walked back via and ice cream shop opposite to Rafe and started heading north again.
After watching the Shakers with the Olives, we set off for the walk along the waterfront to the treaty grounds. We’ve been here in the Bay of Islands so many times but haven’t really spent any quality time here at the Treaty grounds, so were well overdue for a visit.
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The Shakers getting the Olives off the trees.
At the entrance, we made our first priority a coffee and something to eat so headed towards the Cafe. We were really early for the guided tour so had plenty of time to kill.
Fiona on the new boardwalk up to the Treaty House
We decided to go on ahead anyway and walk up to the Treaty house and have a decent look, something I have never done and it’s really interesting. There is part of it at the back which is partly stripped to show how it was built as a kitset in Australia to be put together here. Really interesting.
Who knew there was a back courtyard!
I didn’t realise either that there was quite a big courtyard at the back of it which you never see.
Fiona decided to walk back down to the entrance to catch the guide for the walk back up. I walked over to the Meeting house just in time to catch the previous cultural show. They’re a fun bunch! Lots of humour but with a serious educational theme as well.
The very talented group doing the cultural shows.
There were about 30 people in the group and one person was volunteered to be the chief. He had to receive the challenge and then be accepted into the meeting house on behalf of all of us. He was Dutch and although his English was OK, he did really well as they had primed him to do a 5-minute speech which in the end was lucky if it was 30 seconds but all in jest but I’m sure he had some anxious moments thinking about it 🙂
Our “chief” being welcomed onto the Whare
A great show and well worth doing and great performers.
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View back to Paihia from the Treaty House
The Treaty House
Being welcomed into the Whare
The very talented group doing the cultural shows.
Looking back on our walk back to the park.
The show had just finished when Fiona turned up with her group, so I went into the show again with her 🙂
We wandered back down through the grounds checking out a wonderful new Museum largely dedicated to the Maori Battalion and the contribution they made over the years. Both Fiona and I come from a strong Army background, so we found it really interesting. During the war, the Germans found the Maori Battalion to be fearsome warriors and extremely effective soldiers. It’s great to see them getting some recognition for their efforts.
People inside the whare after the show.
We checked out the other museum too which was more about the Treaty grounds and the early settlers. Really interesting and very well displayed with some great audio-visual displays as well.
Looking back on our walk back to the park.
It was back to Rafe at Jan’s Motorhome Park after that and a G&T to finish off the day.
Rafe’s tracker map to the Bay of Islands Holiday Park – Armada GPS
From our spot in Kaikohe, we rang ahead and booked a spot for a couple of nights at the Bay of Island campervan park which is nestled in between Olive trees on the main road into Paihia. Its a perfect spot for walking to Paihia and to the Treaty grounds, both only 15 minutes away and it is very reasonably priced too.
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Paihia Wharf
The first day we were there we walked about 15 minutes into Paihia to catch a ferry over to Russell. The ferries were flat out so there were three ferries shuttling people across but there was plenty of room and it’s only a 15-minute trip across.
Leaving Paihia
We had booked into the Duke of Marlborough for lunch but were a bit early so walked around the waterfront, ate ice creams and drank coffee and eventually went to the Duke for a G&T. The “Duke” as it’s known apparently is NZ’s oldest licensed pub. There are several others that claim this title but as Russell was NZ’s first capital and one of its first settlements, they’re probably right 🙂
Fiona ready for lunch 🙂My Snapper and ChipsThe Group across the road enjoying their lunch
Fiona and I came to a wedding here several years ago and they’re slick operators where the food and Beveridge’s are concerned. There was a table setup for a group of about 10 across the road at the top of the beach having their meal out on the edge of the water… lovely!
The Duke of Marlborough behind the trees.The Russell Ferry that was sunk after a collision with a boat a few days later. The boat in the background is a Classic called Wild Duck. It used to be a Flying boat tender in Mechanics Bay.
As the time crept on, we crossed to the road to the jetty and caught the ferry back to Paihia.
The ferry we caught back was being skippered by a lovely guy who also collected the tickets was the ferry that was sunk a few days later, by an alleged helmless 600hp go fast boat that hit the port side. He was badly injured and airlifted to Auckland in a critical condition. A terrible situation and from my past boating background, being hit on the port side means the ferry had right of way. Witnesses say there was no one at the helm. I hope after the investigation that the transgressor has the book thrown at them.
Leaving Russell
After getting back to the camp, I had a great chat to Jan who owns the camp and previously ran another bigger camp at Haruru Falls. It turns out that Jan is the big sister of an old Auckland Star colleague of mine who was a subeditor and used to lay out my photos on the fashion pages… Small world 🙂 She was ex media too but in Televison!
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The Shakers in action
The crew get stuck in.
Jan with the Olive oil
Rafe with the Olives
The Shower and Toilet block
The camp is a little pearler with very tidy loos and showers and some apartments, some of which go up the hill. The camp sites are separated by Olive trees which is nice and the next morning, we were entertained by the “Shakers” shaking out the Olives from the trees. The Oil is bottled along with the Olives and donated to charity.
The crew get stuck in.The Shakers in action
A great park in a lovely spot and so handy!
Rafe’s tracker map to the Bay of Islands Holiday Park – Armada GPS
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.
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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
Thats exactly what it is too! Set out over 50 acres with Restaurants, A Wedding Venue, A Chapel, a Pub, an Art Gallery, A Gym… the list goes on.
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Nice parking
On our way to see friends on the Takaka Peninsula, we’ve driven past here a few times to it was time to try it out and see the markets on the Sunday which is Fiona’s favourite thing to do.
I booked two nights as I thought Fiona was coming too but at the 11th hour, she came down with a germ and told me not to stay around. It turned out that I came down with it anyway a few days later!
At the ride on train stationThe ride on Train
I arrived early in the morning on the Saturday and after getting settled in, I walked the 300 metres odd to the Cafe and central area. I was in the queue in the Cafe when good friends Mark and his wife Dinah arrived with Dinah’s brother Wayne.
The Cafe
I haven’t seen Wayne for years, so it was really nice to see them all. After a cup of coffee and something to eat, they headed off to a working bee at their place nearby.
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Inside Smiths, the pub.
Outside Smiths.
The Wedding reception area.
One of the Loos
After that, I went for a walk back to Rafe just as new neighbours were arriving.
I later went over to the pub to check it all out and it seemed there was a wedding on. Lots of people glammed up and had popped through from the adjoining wedding reception area.
The Gallery
I later met the General Manager Peter who was telling me that they had been absolutely dealt to by the rain and had all sorts of plans to upgrade the parking for the Motorhomes and add some new sites.
The Action Ninja World for kids
After a quiet drink with my neighbours, I packed it in for the night looking forward to the Markets the next morning 🙂
Rafe’s Tracker map to Matakana Country Park – Armada GPS
This is one of those places that you’ll keep coming back to. It is just magic and there’s a ferry to Kawau too.
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Just Bliss
I arrived early in the afternoon and got myself setup in a corner spot but then realised that under some huge trees, there would be no TV signal.
First thing on the waterfrontLooking over towards the ferry wharf
It’s a fairly casual arrangement, “Park wherever you like except the waterfront spots which are booked for a whole bunch of Ozzies in their Britz vans”. I was only 10 steps away anyway so that was fine:-)
The Ozzies on the water
It was warm, there were people out kayaking in the camps free Kayaks and people out swimming.
The Ozzies catching upKayaking fun
I went for a walk across to the Sandpit Yacht club later for tea and sat out on the deck with a nice glass of chardonnay. Very civilised I thought but such a nice spot and the food was fantastic too.
At the Yacht club
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You can stay in this.
Close to the water
The Ozzies on the water
Snakes and Ladders
The Boardwalk across thye mangroves to the Yacht club.
At the Yacht club
First thing on the waterfront
Later it was time to head back for a shower in the fantastic newish ablutions block.
Some of the history
There used to be a whole bunch of pretend historic shops around the office area which all seem to have gone which is a shame.. one of the features of this camp but still a great spot to stay all the same.
Its a wee bit off the beaten track but being here is just magic. The weather was perfect too.
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Bream Head in the distance
It was the middle of the week and with Fiona at work, I thought somewhere nice in the sun would be nice. I last came here several years ago and post Covid, the only real thing that has changed is the trees have grown but I gather there are some big changes coming.
Chatting to one of the managers, they have a massive amount of unpowered sites which people don’t seem to want as much so they are powering a large bunch of them up. Some of the cabins are apparently well past their use by date but they seemed ok to me.
Great view from these Caravans
The camp is dominated a bit by long term Caravans but there is plenty of room for Motorhomes and more with the new powered upgrades to sites.
Some tenters popped in.The view from one of the Units
The kitchen and lounge facilities are really good and there are several ablutions blocks.
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Some tenters popped in.
The feature though is that amazing beach.
I went out there not long after I arrived and the sense of peace and quiet is just amazing. I sat out there for an hour or so before heading back as I’d forgotten to take a hat but its just beautiful.
I did the same the next day with a hat 🙂 and its glorious.
Looking back to the camp from the beach
The nights were starting to get colder so there was only me and a couple of others in the campground so there was room for Africa. I bet it gets busy in the summer though.
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.
Bugger It, we are off - www.buggeritweareoff.com 
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