After a fantastic couple of nights in Coromandel, we packed up and headed over the hill toward Whitianga. With New Year’s Eve just around the corner, we weren’t quite sure how busy things would get during the “silly season.”
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Hot and Sunny!The Beach
Our first stop was at the main beach, where Fiona decided to stretch her legs with a walk along the promenade into town and back. After soaking in the views, we made our way to the NZMCA park.
The Whitianga NZMCA park when we arrived. By the next day it was chocka.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t as packed as we’d feared. The park was only about 30% full when we arrived, but by the next day—New Year’s Eve, it was full to the brim! The vibe was great, though, with lots of friendly folks around, and the bonus. Being right next to the airfield meant we got to enjoy some incredible aerial displays from several warbirds flown in from Ardmore. It was absolutely fantastic!
Close to the airfield
On our second day, we wandered into town for lunch. Whitianga was buzzing with energy, but not overwhelming.
We spent some time in the shade under the umbrellas while having lunch on the left.
We enjoyed a delicious meal on the main street and took our time exploring the shops. The heat was in full swing, so we took regular breaks to sit in the shade and people-watch. It was one of those perfect summer afternoons.
On the way back, we popped into Woolworths for a few supplies before heading back to the truck. The rest of the day was pure bliss chilling out with some music, enjoying the lively atmosphere, and watching the world go by at the now very busy park
The morning after Christmas, we hit the road bound for Coromandel Town. Despite being Boxing Day, the traffic was surprisingly light, making the drive smooth and easy. We stopped at Kopu for some diesel before continuing up the coast toward our destination.
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The NZMCA park at Coromandel when we arrived.
Arriving late in the morning, we checked into the NZMCA park, got the jug boiling for a much-needed coffee, and opened the vents. With the air conditioning finally off, it was great to let some fresh air flow through, perfect for the warm day ahead.
Our favourite spot in the Town. The Star and Garter.
Hungry from the drive, we headed into town in search of lunch. Being a public holiday, many places were closed, but we lucked out with a fantastic little Turkish spot serving mouthwatering chicken wraps. A great find!
Neat shopsI never get sick of seeing this.
After lunch, we made our way to one of our favorite spots, the Star and Garter Bar for a refreshing drink. From there, we wandered down to the Four-Square supermarket for a few essentials and then strolled over to the marina to admire the boats.
The Marina
There’s something special about Coromandel. Even though we’ve visited many times before, it never loses its charm. With its unique atmosphere and welcoming vibe, it’s always a pleasure to spend a few days here.
A bit of traffic downtown but nothing to get concerned about 🙂A Mural on the side of one of the shops
Over the years, we’ve sampled several of the local cafés and bars, and they’ve all been top-notch. This visit was no exception.
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Looking down the road towards the wharf.
A Mural on the side of one of the shops
The Marina
After a leisurely afternoon of exploring and soaking up the laid-back vibe, we returned to the truck to escape the heat and enjoy some well-earned chill time. Nothing beats relaxing in Coromandel.
Tim and Annette, my younger brother (not so little anymore!) and sister-in-law, flew over from Melbourne for a well-deserved break. It has been a while since their last visit, so when Tim shared his packed itinerary, we were really pleased to be able to join them for two nights in Hahei.
Click on any Image to EnlargeInitially, Cathedral Cove wasn’t on the agenda, but with Annette being an avid kayaker and the iconic spot just reopening after the cyclone damage, it quickly became a must-do.
Hahei Beach
They had booked one of the Beachfront Villas at the Hahei Resort, and the team there gave us a motorhome park conveniently almost right behind them. Perfect!
The Villa’s
We arrived on a sunny Thursday afternoon and wasted no time setting up the awning and settling into deck chairs for some shaded relaxation. Tim and Annette arrived later after visiting an old friend in Tauranga. Luckily, Fiona had packed one of our trusty Bargain Box meals, which turned into a lovely, shared dinner, complemented by a few G&Ts.
The next day was all about enjoying Hahei. We wandered into the shopping center for a leisurely lunch before Tim and Annette geared up for their kayak adventure to Cathedral Cove. After a short safety briefing, they were off. Fiona and I opted for a swim back at the beach, enjoying the calm, sunny weather.
Getting instructions.Tim and Annette at Cathedral Cove. Pic by Cathedral Kayaks
When Tim and Annette returned from their kayaking expedition, we gathered on their villa’s deck overlooking the beach. The tales of their paddling adventure were as lively as the backdrop was beautiful. The early breeze had settled, leaving behind a perfectly calm day on the water.
While enjoying the afternoon back on the deck, a familiar face appeared at the top of the stairs, Caroline with a friend! It had been a few years since we last each other, and after a moment of mutual hesitation (the “do-I-know-you” look), and after another old friend Chris, arrived in a car to confirm the situation, we pieced it together 🙂
Tim, Fiona and Annette enjoying a morning coffee on the deck.
Chris and her late husband, Gary, were old boating and motorhome friends, and we had spent many holidays together. It was lovely to see Chris and Caroline again.
The Deck bar area.The amazing bar and social area.
Hahei Holiday Park has always been a favorite of ours, and this visit didn’t disappoint. A new bar, restaurant, and beach club had opened in the campground’s heart, a fantastic addition. That evening, we headed over for burgers and chips, and wow, those burgers were incredible! Quite possibly the best we’ve ever had.
Annette, Me and Tim at the Bar.
We bumped into Caroline and Chris again at the bar, enjoying dinner with their group.
The Kayaks
After another evening together on their front deck, we set off the next morning back to Auckland. We only there for a couple of nights but it was a lot of fun. Nice to see some old friends too.
After weeks of family activities, baby sitting and catching up on my volunteer work restoring historic images at the Devonport Museum, it was time for a well-deserved getaway.
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Coming into the NZMCA parkOur little corner in the world at Waihi Beach
We hit the road ad made our way to the NZMCA park at Waihi Beach.
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Waihi Beach
The next door neighbour
Lovely scenic entranceway to the park.
We’ve had several memorable stays here, including covering the ceremonial opening of the NZMCA park, a fantastic occasion. This time, we arrived under a grey sky to a very quiet park, perfectly set up for us to unwind, watch a bit of TV, and enjoy doing very little.
In the morning, we took a short drive down to the Waihi Beach shops for lunch at a cozy café and a browse through the shops. On the way back, we stopped at the beach for a quick look before returning to the NZMCA park.
Our original spot had been taken, so we parked further along beside Harry and Lorraine, full-timers in their Iveco-powered Diamond motorhome. I spent a pleasant afternoon swapping road stories with them both over a glass or two of wine.
Fiona on the beach
The next morning, we packed up and made our way back to Auckland, feeling recharged and grateful for the chance to connect with family and enjoy a couple of relaxing days by the beach.
Fiona and I first met Tony and Mary way back when we were playcenter parents together in Devonport, so it was very much small world stuff when I first discovered them in a Dethleffs Motorhome after they first got their Pulse a few years ago.
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Tony and Mary
The Alpas have really changed the standard with the Dethleffs usual format from a rear bed and front Lounge. From originally being rear lounge like the rentals we all see, now we’re back to that and these Alpas look really nice.
Nice looking Motorhome.
A slightly smaller Galley than the Grand Alpa, and a little less cabinetry in the lounge, it really suits the vehicle and takes nothing away from it.
Nice comfy lounge at the back with great visibility.
At just a smidge under 7.5 metres, they come with the new ZF 9 speed boxes and the 2.2hp fiat rated at 180HP. They come as standard with all the standard goodies including a lithium battery.
Galley
I remember when Chris Norman who used to work at Zion, dragged me sideways when I was out there for something else when the first one arrived, to check it out. There was great excitement, and it was a thing of beauty. Then it was only an option for the XLI but hold onto your hats, we’ve got a little smaller, so it’s become a standard sized Motorhome! I’m sure it is going to be very popular.
Bathroom. Shower is opposite and BIG!
Having it tied to their doorknob at home now, it has been a bit of saga getting this one into New Zealand. Through no fault of anybody, it has been a combination of Covid, shipping issues and then the war in Ukraine where wiring looms in these are all made. The three years wait though I’m sure was well worth it.
The galley looking forward to the drop down beds and the Cab area.
I’ll let the images tell the story but the smile on their faces I think tells the story.
What a fun weekend. Fiona and I arrived in Waipu Cove just after lunch and found our park almost next to the track over the Sandhills. Very handy but it was too cold for me swim yet 🙂
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That fantastic beachFabulous Beach by the doorstep!
Peter and Judy were right next to us with their 2014 Esprit so it was nice to have probably the oldest Motorhomes out of the 24 that had arrived parked together.
The oldies. .. Peter and Judy’s 2014 Esprit and our 2014 Globe 4.
I spent the early part of the afternoon catching up with people and checking in with people I hadn’t seen for a while.
Everybody getting settled24 Motorhomes.
Happy hour came around and as we were the only ones at right angles to the wind that had a bit of a bite to it, we squeezed in between the old girls, The Globe4 and the Esprit 🙂
Friday night
The next morning, it was about getting ready for the 8k bike ride to McLeod’s Pizza and Brewery bar in Waipu which was mostly on a trail and was about 20 minutes ride away. We started with the customary team photo of all 29 of us and we were away.
29 heading for the Waipu Brewery 🙂 (and pizzas!)
It was a pretty easy ride and was mostly pretty flat. As we arrived early before the Brewery had opened, we headed off for a coffee across the road. Fiona saw one of the girls in the shop sneak off for some more milk 🙂 Great business for them as there were quite a few of us.
Bikes everywhere. Leaving Waipu for the campground.
Chris and Mary and Ben and Joss bought their vans in and joined in the fun.
Martin and Jill’s new Grand Alpa with Chris and Mary’s Esprit
Although there was quite a bit of wind around, it had dropped a bit, and the sun was shining so it was looking good for the Potluck dinner planned for later that day.
The official team pic 🙂
With the wind in the Southeast but a bit less of it, we decided to have the happy hour between the two oldest vans again to shield from the wind. It worked pretty well and then we shuffled off for our team photo.
Happy hour on Friday nightSaturday Happy hour
6 pm came around and it was time for us to move over the Kitchen where there were several tables available which made life easy.
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Up Early 🙂
Bikes everywhere. Leaving Waipu for the campground.
The official team pic 🙂
Saturday’s Happy hour view from the top of the sandhill 🙂
The queue for the food was out of the door and the food was amazing. Everybody made a real effort. A fabulous night and it was fantastic to see everyone tucking in and having fun.
The Camping Ground is one of our favourites with its 10 metre square parks and we were all literally only steps from one of the best beaches in NZ.
A few of us stayed over for another night and after a nice lunch at the Cove Restaurant down the road a bit, we enjoyed a fun happy hour with Mary and Tony outside their new Baby Alpa.
Happy hour on Sunday at Mary and Tony’s
A lot of fun and thanks you everyone for taking part.
We hadn’t long been out of bed on the Saturday morning when Fiona announced,” Let’s get out of town, what about Kaiaua”?
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The Bay View Hotel in Kaiaua
Kaiaua has become our easy bust out of the house destination being not far to drive with a great NZMCA park next door to a fantastic pub and the Fish and Chip shop from heaven 🙂
So, within a couple of hours, we were arriving in Kaiaua. Almost opposite us were full-timers, Kelly and Claire in their Autotrail Delaware. Small world stuff. It turns out that Kelly built a friend’s boat. Moored in the same place as the old family boat Rorqual.
We tootled over next door to the pub next door and there was an amazing band playing called Small stuffed Animals. they were amazing playing all the old favourites.
We also met Vicki and John who are just getting a Caravan ready to hit the road. Vicki grew up in Kaiaua.
I was told that there was a German Ompah band playing the next day and that explained why some of the staff were dressed in the appropriate costume, like the German beer festival. Lots of fun.
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Manu about to deliver some food to a table.
We pretty much spent the rest of the day there and then got fish and chips for tea at the Fish and Chip shop. While we were there, we stumbled on some Liquorice Ice Cream. We last had this with Sambuca over it years ago in Coromandel and it was unbelievable. Well, we’ve found it, and it is made by Lewis Road Creamery… I feel a visit is imminent with the freezer on 🙂
Manu with some happy customers.
The next day, Fiona went for a walk, and I went to chat to the neighbours and later we found ourselves back at the pub where the Herman band was laying. Barman Manu was in his German gear making the most of it and it was a fun afternoon.
Later in the day we checked in to the Pub for tea. I had an unbelievable Pork Roast and Fiona had a Fish Pie… both amazing.
For years several friends of mine have been telling me how nice this place is, and I finally got to stay here. It is right on the Waikato River just north or Arapuni. It is also right on the Waikato River trail for biking and walking.
I arrived here in the morning and there was quite a bit of room. (Mid-week) There are some pretty flash loos here too, but they are clean long drops.
Its lovely just sitting there with the music on watching the Swans and Ducks and generally taking it all in.
Stunning
A nice spot given it is freedom camping and it just shows how spoilt we are in the Waikato region with the council providing parking like this.
There is always a feeling of excitement when you are driving down the hill to Mystery Creek for the Park and Stay at these shows. You never quite know what is coming next.
Click on any Image to enlargeI was very lucky to get a spot not far from the gate thanks to the efficient parking from the Counties parking team.
I arrived in the middle of the afternoon on the Thursday, and it seemed like most of those staying was there too. Apparently, they had 900 registered stayers and another 150 odd for power… a great turnout.
People queuing to get in on Friday Morning
On the Friday morning, I went in for my first look and the thing that struck me most was the number of Ozzie Caravan manufacturers here with their raised Caravans. They’re built like Tanks 🙂
Inside the Urban Caravan
Perfect for the rough Ozzie outback. I had a quick look at one of them from a Melbourne company called Urban. Apparently, they’re Tig welded which they emphasised as a selling point.
Click on the Gallery below to enlarge the Urban Caravan
Nicely appointed and they look bullet proof but for a medium sized Caravan, available at $189,000.
One of the first Liteweight caravans
So, from there I was off to see the old Cars and Caravans and with their Art Deco decorating they looked stunning. These guys put their heart and souls into these.
Click on the Gallery below to see the vintage Cars and Caravans
I was lucky enough a few years ago to catch up with an old mate from the Herald who I worked with at a Liteweight Caravans get together at Cambridge and it was fabulous. We also met some of the well know members of the family who built them too. See that here.
My next stop was one of the most popular Dethleffs at the Zion stand, the Grand Alpa which is a beast. This comes in at 855cm and is 5.4 Tons and was going as a show special for $341,000. There is also a smaller version of this available which possibly suits NZ roads being 748cm long.
Click on the Gallery below to enlarge the Grand Alpa
This the outside of the XLI as the Grand Alpa was jammed in but they look identical from the outside.
I really enjoyed catching up with some old friends on the Dethleffs stand, some that I caught up with later for a cold one as you do 🙂
The Team at the NZMCA standThe crew at Kiwi fuels
I popped over to the NZMCA stand and checked in there. Nice to see the happy faces there too.
The UCC stand
I also checked out the new Rockwood’s and they’re massive insides with all the slide outs. Very nice and nice seeing a smart bunk layout for the kids.
Click on the Gallery below to see the Rockwood 5the Wheeler.
In the Gallery below is a general roundup. I saw the new Weber Traveller Barbeques which look great. Apparently, they have a complete set of extra bits and bobs just for these new models.
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No 1 Reo NZMCA
The Weber Traveller
Trailite Caravan
The Galley area inside Trailite Caravan
Inside the Trailite Caravan
Looking through the Trailite Caravan
The bedroom – Trailite Caravan
It was off to the tented pavilions then. From floating sunglasses to Gin, it was all here.
Click on the Gallery below for the outside exhibits.
Outside in the Park and Stay, it was fun, and I bumped into quite a few people I knew. By the Saturday though, there were some big holes opening in the parking which was interesting. People getting in early and going.
Click on the Gallery below for lots of white Motorhomes
This was the first one I’ve been to where there was a Stay and Eat area too for those parked so that was fun. A great show and lots of friendly faces.
After the Hustle and Bustle of Paihia with the festival, we decided to head for some peace and quiet at the NZMCA park at Rainbow Falls. A nice location away from it all where we blobbed out. I went for a look at the Waterfall .. it would be rude not to 🙂
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The NZMCA park at KerikeriRainbow Falls
We ummed and ahhed about walking down to the Stone Store but decided after our Paihia walking, we’d have a quiet day instead.
The NZMCA park at Kerikeri
Early the next morning, we set off towards Kerikeri to visit the Markets and the Packhouse Cafe. The markets are on every weekend and we had the most amazing lunch in the cafe. I would have to say would be one of the Bay’s easiest and safest parking areas for Motorhomes around. I call them “Motorhome friendly Parking” places! …. with a great Cafe and Markets as well 🙂
The Packhouse Cafe and Bakery
I parked right next to a Grader at the back to the carpark, a lovely spot.
The Parking !
We wandered around enjoying talking to some of the stall holders. A very friendly place 🙂
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The NZMCA park at Kerikeri
The NZMCA park at Kerikeri
The NZMCA park at Kerikeri
The Packhouse Cafe and Bakery
The Packhouse Cafe and Bakery
The Packhouse Markets
Hats at the Packhouse Markets
The Parking !
I bought a dress for my 2-month-old Granddaughter with advice from Fiona 🙂
The Packhouse MarketsThe Packhouse Markets
We worked our way through the huge building towards the cafe with the bakery attached where they make the most amazing breads and pies. There is also an attached Butcher and Delicatessen that had everything including the amazing local Cheese from the Mahoe Cheese factory.
The Packhouse Cafe and BakeryThe Packhouse Cafe and Bakery
As the day went on, the wind picked up and the rain came down as forecasted so we decided to head for home. We had a fantastic weekend in the Bay… back next year 🙂
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.
The vibe was great, though, with lots of friendly folks around, and the bonus. Being right next to the airfield meant we got to enjoy some incredible aerial displays from several warbirds flown in from Ardmore. It was absolutely fantastic!
On the way back, we popped into Woolworths for a few supplies before heading back to the truck. The rest of the day was pure bliss chilling out with some music, enjoying the lively atmosphere, and watching the world go by at the now very busy park
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