Beautiful Awhitu

March 16, 2017 Chris Miller - Buggeritweareoff.com 6 Comments

After a good solid weekend of babysitting, we thought we’d escape for our last night before Fiona had to return to work.

The Brook Homestead Wharf — The Peninsula Campground at Awhitu

I wasn’t really in the mood for huge driving for one night so we figured that up the Awhitu peninsula might be quite nice. I called Auckland City and it seems that even in the height of the Summer silly season, you can still use your camping pass at Awhitu and other parks like it.

Don’t forget to click on the Images for Hi res or a Slideshow

After booking in on the phone, we were off heading for Awhitu. We arrived around 1pm and settled Rafe down in the Peninsula Campground.

When you book with the Council, the choices are Self contained or not. When you get to Awhitu, it is Brook Campground or the Peninsula campground. I was a bit confused as to where we were supposed to park as there is no mention of SCC and no signposts 🙂
It wasn’t until we had the downloaded map off the council website that we saw two Motorhome emblems on both the Peninsula and the Brook campgrounds with tags saying SCC camping that we were happy with where we had parked.

The Brook Campground which is behind the Brook Homestead and the Peninsula camp is beside the Homestead and closer to the water. Both have nice toilets and great rubbish collection points and both are an easy walk to the beach.

After settling down and having a look around both Brook Homestead and the Cottage, which they used before the Homestead was built, we sat down for lunch and just blobbed in the sun. A perfect spot for watching the planes coming in to Auckland Airport and they were far enough away not to be a nuisance with sound. A lovely spot.

The Brook Homestead

The Cottage

Peninsula Campground. Plenty of room.

Nice Bbq’s with the wood all stacked ready to go.

Nice looking loos

Fiona dumping rubbish she found on the beach.

In the morning, we went for a walk down to the beach and had a look around. The Ranger popped in and checked the park so it was then I knew for sure we were ok where we parked although we were on our own. There was no one else there which surprised me.

The Beach with the tide out. Pip gathers out on the mudflats — The Beach with the tide out. Pipi gathers out on the mudflats

The park is huge and there are lots of great walks which we’ll check out next time we’re here but it’s a great spot and not too far away from the big smoke.

We only had a night to check this place out before having to head back but we have visited here before but not stayed. See the earlier post. It is a magic spot with a nice beach and plenty of places to explore. We’ll be back for sure.

There is good 4g internet here which surprised me, being where it is although it’s not fast but good enough for Netflix.

The Netspeed Speedtest
Download: 5.84 Mbps
Upload: 1.55 Mbps
Ping: 54 ms

Rafes Tracker map to get here

Close to home

Babysitting and new age Car Seats.

March 13, 2017 Chris Miller - Buggeritweareoff.com

This weekend was for babysitting our Grandkids as Mum, Sarah flew to Oz to watch their family horse run in a big race over there. Dad Alex was at work in Wellington so it was down to us to look after Ayden (8) and Liam (4).

Have to watch the Grey water outlet doesn't get tangled with a step. — Have to watch the Grey water outlet doesn’t get tangled with a step.

Rafes parking spot at their house used to be over by the Goat Pen in the corner but Rafe tended to get in the way of them getting cars in and out of the garage so we were moved to next to the Garage which actually works really well. It’s also really sheltered from the Southerly and South Westerly winds which is great and closer to the power point too.

On the Saturday morning, we all got ready to go to Kawakawa Bay for a swim and a fish and chip lunch. We got everyone organised and got the boys into their car seats. As Liam got in, he gave his tightening strap that goes under his seat a good yank so it was too small and he couldn’t get in. We couldn’t figure out how to undo the ratchet and release it. I even started to take it out of the car but decided it was all too hard and left it so that was the end of that idea.

He must be a beginner :-) — He must be a beginner 🙂

Unpacking began and then we decided we’d walk them around to next door Ardmore Airdrome and have lunch at the cafe opposite and along from the NZMCA park. That all went well and we spent a happy few hours trying to keep them away from the sweet counter 🙂 and watching the planes come and go.

We headed back to their home and Fiona organised to fill a tub fill of water like a small swimming pool as we couldn’t get to the beach. Another few hours of easy entertainment for them splashing about on the lawn.

The next day, Sarah’s cousin Brooke came to pick up Ayden for the day and showed us how easy it was to fix the seat. “You just lift this and push this button here, like that”. Easy when you know how :-). We then tried taking Liam to the Clevedon Markets but as he got into the seat, he started complaining about the seat and we couldn’t work that out either so we gave up at that point and spent the day at home. All good but I’m not sure why these seats are so complicated. When Alex their Dad, had a car seat, 30 odd years ago, it was all very simple.

Anyway, Mums due home soon so we’re looking at taking off somewhere for a couple of nights 🙂

Close to home

The Birds

March 10, 2017 Chris Miller - Buggeritweareoff.com

I didn’t ever think I’d ever become a birdwatcher but when you sit down and watch them, its crazy how clever they are and what they get up to.

Click on the images for Hi Res or a Slideshow

I’d popped in to one of my favorite spots on the Firth of Thames, Rays Rest. I’ve done a couple of posts on Rays Rest over the last year or so and although I haven’t been here for a while, it is one of my all time favorite places to stay.
Its not popular with Fiona but I suspect that’s because there are no shops there or “anything to do” but that’s its charm. 🙂 Your choices are to Blob and to Blob.. just great.

It wasn’t particularly busy being a Wednesday afternoon but stinking hot.
The birds were amazing as just before the tide turned, they’re were all quite happily sitting on the sand banks and then it was like someone had blown the whistle. They were off to spread themselves out along the edge of the water for a feed and then follow the water as the tide went out. Its amazing just watching them following the water.

All settled

And they’re off

The weather was due to change and pour with rain. No problem here as it is all well draining sand. There is always a friendly face here too and its amazing who you meet.

The local horses came down for a swim too

I also did a Netspeed speed test here and was amazed it was so good given that it is a rural area and quite remote. See below.

Download: 41.19 Mbps
Upload: 24.30 Mbps
Ping: 54 ms

Rafes Tracker map is below for its location.

Rafes Tracking map for the trip back to Akld

Close to home, Int'l Motorhomes, My Motorhome

Donna and Dale’s Hymer

March 7, 2017 Chris Miller - Buggeritweareoff.com 6 Comments

The S650 Hymer is a rare beast on NZ roads so I was really surprised and it was a real pleasure to find one parked right behind me. Donna and Dale hail from Tauranga and were on their way home from up north.

Remember to click on the images for Hi Res

Dales sister used to live in the UK and had been Motorhoming around Europe for 4 years with it before deciding to return to NZ for good so they returned with it as “baggage”! Dale made it sound like she just popped it in a corner of her suitcase but I’m sure it was a little more complicated than that 🙂

Dale tells me this one is a 2002 Mercedes based machine which is just a smidge over 6 metres. It has a 2.7 litre 5 cylinder Turbo Diesel with Automatic Transmission.

Its interesting with some of the new Motorhomes coming out now with the main bed being a drop down rather than a permament bed. This means smaller vans have a huge amount of space for the living area and galley.

The Hymer group owns Dethleffs along with Burstner and several others. All the older Hymer vans have had drop down beds for years and using the extra space well so its no surprise that the new Dethleffs Travel only has a drop down bed.

It was nice to catch up with them and see them enjoying their trusty older quality Motorhome.

A lovely Motorhome and nice to see it has been reliable and in such good shape after 8 years on the road. It really says a lot about the quality of these vans.

Auckland Parks, Close to home

Cricket on the mudflats

March 4, 2017 Chris Miller - Buggeritweareoff.com

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.

Click on the images for Hi Res or a Slideshow

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.

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.

A nice campground if you’re looking for somewhere not to far from Auckland. See my earlier Whangateau post here.

The Netspeed Speedtest for this site
Download: 12.89 Mbps
Upload: 16.67 Mbps
Ping: 74 ms
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=-36.315094,174.765907

Rafes Track to Whangateau Holiday park

My Motorhome, Northland

Eagle Rock

March 1, 2017 Chris Miller - Buggeritweareoff.com

I met Derek while he was doing the rounds of the Bland Bay Motorcamp offer complete strangers Tuna which he and his friends had caught off the beach. He popped his head in the door of Rafe with a nice wooden platter with beautifully cut thick slabs of Tuna with a couple of sauces. I later joined him for a drink and found we had lots to talk about with my family Army background.. .. Back to Derek!

Most of Derek and June’s live’s have revolved around his postings during his years in Infantry and Signals in the NZ Army. After 20 years, in 1984, he retired and they bought a Tearoom business in Picton which they had for 2 years. For 5 years after this they had a Motels complex and Guesthouse, also in Picton.

Don’t forget to click on the images for Hi Res or a slideshow

They then sold this and bought an RV in the US and spent 18 months travelling around there.

Returning to NZ and after selling their house, they bought their Isuzu bus which they modified for their use and have since been living in and enjoying travelling all around NZ with their Dog and their Cat. They even have a custom made cat flap and ramp for their cat to come and go on.

When asked their favourite spot.. NZ was the answer.

The cat Flap and ramp

The Living area

The kids from around the camp admiring the Marlin

While I was with them in Bland Bay, Derek with 4 friends in a 26 ft odd runabout caused great excitement when they returned to the beach with a 149kg Marlin. The whole camp got involved. A lovely couple enjoying their Motorhome.

Northland

In the Sun!

February 26, 2017 Chris Miller - Buggeritweareoff.com 4 Comments

The forecast was fantastic for the best part of the next week. My thinking was I had to be near a nice beach and it had to be northwards. With the holiday weekend approaching, I thought I might be lucky getting a park at Bland Bay but thought, I’ll give it a go.

Click on an image to see Hi Res or a slideshow

After 50ks odd of winding road around the Whangaruru Bay, I arrived at the Bland Bay Camp. In the office was manager Wayne who couldn’t do enough for me and even though I’d just walked in off the street, made me very welcome and even found a waterfront site for the night. If I wanted to stay longer, I’d have to move one back which was fantastic.

I’d just plugged in Rafe, opened vents and settled things down and then went for a walk (5 steps to the beach) to get a piccy with my phone for Facebook.

No sooner had I posted it when several old colleagues from my days at the Herald as a photographer, reminded me to be on my best behaviour as another ex photographer Ross lived here. Several suggested I look him up and found the address. An hour later, I’d found Ross in his kitchen preparing Veges for his freezer. In his early 70’s, he’s a picture of health, fit as a buck rat living off his huge vege garden and the fish he catches in the bay and loving it. He’s just the same and it was great to see him.

Derek and Judy's bus Eagle Rock further along the beachfront — Derek and Judy’s bus Eagle Rock further along the beachfront

I’d just got back to Rafe when a face popped in the door with a platter of Tuna with two sauces inviting me to try them out. This was Derek who I later had a drink with and his wife June by their bus further down the waterfront. A lovely couple who have been living aboard for 2 years or more. Derek was in the Army for 20 odd years and he knew a few people that people in my family knew so we had plenty to talk about. A great evening.

First Thing.. well worth getting up for :-) — First Thing.. well worth getting up for 🙂

The next day I moved Rafe back a parking space and found myself next to Terry and Louise with their grandson Max in their Dethleffs Sunlight. I spent most the day nattering to them and lazing in the sun. I really wanted to go for a swim but with a cool onshore breeze and the water being so cold, couldn’t quite get there.. One day soon :-).

The Bland Bay tree which was struck by lightening recently and is now a shadow of its former self.

Yum .. friends of Dereks

The Dump Staion on the end of the toilet and shower block

The new Toilet and Shower block

Later in the afternoon there was a lot of excitement when Derek and his friends in a 26 foot odd runabout with half cabin had returned to the beach with what turned out to be a 149kg Marlin. Huge excitement and it was later put next to Derek’s bus and packed in ice for all to see. Amazing.

The kids from around the camp admiring the Marlin

After another day with Fiona having finished work and she was going to drive up and join me. Shops or beach I asked her.. It didn’t matter she said so Wayne managed to squeeze us in for two more nights and she arrived later in the morning.

This camp really is spectacular. Right on the beach sheltered by another peninsula, it is just a lovely. Although several people asked me not to rave about this place as they wanted to keep it for themselves :-), it really is special. At $22 pp powered, in peak season with nice loos and showers ($1 shot), a dump station, UV treated bore water and a good internet signal, it doesn’t get much better.

One more day in paradise before we move on!

The Netspeed Speed test
Download: 18.16 Mbps
Upload: 4.71 Mbps
Ping: 56 ms
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=-35.346550,174.354724

Rafes Track to Bland Bay

Friends, Northland

Catching up

February 23, 2017 Chris Miller - Buggeritweareoff.com

There was nothing in my diary for a few days and Anniversary Weekend was coming up. Fiona had to work for three days so I was off. I thought if I could, I’d try and catch up with old friends Gary and Chris who were with Mark and Tina at Ruakaka. After checking that they were there, I was off.

Click on the images to see Hi Res or a slideshow

After arriving early in the afternoon, Mark and Gary arranged for a parking spot on Marks front lawn.

Mark and Tina are getting stuck into a house that they had bought that needs plenty of TLC and had some experts in the previous day to remove all their weather boards which had some asbestos in them. Mark and Gary were wrapping building paper all around the weatherboard less house to keep the weather out. I was just in time to help where I could but they’d pretty much done the worst of it by then.

Mark up top with Gary helping below

Gary pulling out more strapping

From the inside

On the lawn

It was Mark and Tina’s wedding Anniversay so we headed into McLeods Pizza Barn in Waipu for tea. The pizzas were fantastic and the McLeod beer is good too. The girls were knackered afterwards so the 3 of us headed into Rafe for some after dinner drinkies. Very pleasant and nice to catch up them all again.

Early the next day, the building inspector turned up and then a safety inspector. Both were happy with what was happening but I couldn’t get over the “dob in” factor of the neighbours. It’s great to be a concerned neighbour but I couldn’t help but feel that this was just trying to cause trouble. A needless waste of many peoples time.

Great to see their new house and that they’re really tearing into it. It’s just as well they’ve got a Motorhome they can stay in while they’re doing it up.

See Mark and Tina’s Motorhome here and Gary and Chris’s Motorhome here.

East Coast 2017

Nice easy parking with power at Pauanui

February 20, 2017 Chris Miller - Buggeritweareoff.com 2 Comments

One of our favourite places to stay is the Pauanui Club. For $8 a night including power and water and membership of the club for 24 hours, this is extremely good value. We had not long stopped and plugged in and paid for our stay when one of the Directors of the club, Robin, who is responsible for the development of the property popped over for a chat. A really nice guy. He was telling me that the plan over the next year is to add a laundry facility and Hot showers for Motorhomers. There are toilets here already but they’re also adding to those too. It’ll be sensational!

There are 6 powered very flat sites and all surrounded with trees for the wind. We arrived here from Taupo for two nights to see the grandkids who were staying here. They were only an easy bike ride about 10 minutes away so it works well.
Just next door is a full Golf course, a mini golf course which is fun and the legendary airfield with the hangered house alongside for the aviation enthusiasts.

Click on the images for Hi Res or a slideshow

Hanging out the washing as your neighbour rocks in!

A Yak outside while you enjoy a beer

New Power and water poles

On our first day, my son Alex, Sarah and the boys came around on their bikes and we sat out in the sun by the mini golf course.
We took the boys through the mini golf the next day. Liam (3) insisted that the golf club had to be back to front and played it like hockey. Ayden (7) was saying that two or three hits were only one ! :-). They were having fun so to us it didn’t matter.
There is a dump station is just down the road and while there, we stopped for a few minutes to watch the locals out with their jet skis and beach toys.

The Pauanui club also has a full kitchen and bar so on our last night before heading back to Auckland, we were going to have a meal there but for some unknown reason it wasn’t possible so we walked to the nearby town centre and had a great meal there.
We’ve stayed here before. The previous blog can be seen here.

Bay of Plenty, East Coast 2017

Peak time at Ngongotaha

February 17, 2017 Chris Miller - Buggeritweareoff.com 1 Comment

This really is an amazing park. The last time I was here, the trees had just come down and there was some concern as to how it would be without them. Nothing to worry about here, its fabulous and now with the extra space, it has just got a whole lot better.

Click on the images for Hi Res or a slideshow

The front part looking good but as it had been so wet, no one was game to park on it.

We were in transit between Taupo and Auckland getting Fiona back to the grandkids in their home in Ardmore for the birthday Grannies cake cutting 🙂

We stopped off down by the lake when we first arrived and went for a look around and a cup of tea after driving with a crosswind after a great night in Taupo. After looking through the app for somewhere to stay, Ngongotaha NZMCA park was the standout place.

The first thing I noticed when we came in is that the driveway seems to have been smoothed out and there is a big new area at the front on the right for more parking. The night before a big storm had gone right through the country and everywhere was pretty wet so there was no one in this new area but it looked like a great addition.

Up at the back. I’ve never seen this being used before

Across the back

One of the best dump stations around

The neighbour

As we got to the top, we easily found a park and I went for a walk around the back. It was covered in caravan and a couple of Motorhomes. I’ve never seen anyone parked right out the back so it was great to see.

I had only been there half an hour when a couple of people who I knew popped out for a chat. A lovely park and great to see the improvements and it being so busy..

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.

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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.