Tag Archives: Campgrounds

Hot pools, North Island road trip 2016

Drinks and Food by the side of the Hot Pool !

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I felt like spoiling myself and had heard about the new Top 10 Taupo’s new pool bar. A swim in a hot pool and be served a nice Chardonnay sounded like just the ticket to me.

Check out these images in Hi Res by clicking on them

I arrived at the Top 10 around lunch time which was great after a great run across the Napier – Taupo rd. After spending two nights in the NZMCA Eriksen rd park, I was a little taken back by the Top 10 winter rates for a single person at $27.00. But then thought, everything is spic and span and the new multi million dollar pool complex and so on, it’s not that bad when you compare it to others and I was spoiling myself 🙂

People enjoying the Bar
People enjoying the Bar
One of the hotter pools
One of the hotter pools

After parking Rafe, it was time to do some laundry and check the place out out before having a swim. It’s nicely laid out with lots of green things (trees and stuff) between parks and the Toilets and Showers are absolutely immaculate and pretty new. There is also Pétanque, Volleyball, Tennis, Trampolines, Basketball and something new called Neos.. There’s plenty for everyone.
The washing was finished so I was off for a swim.

Look how close to the pool I got but a bit noisy
One of the cabins
Kitchen, Laundry and loos
The TV showing Shrek
The Cave
The League is on.. Would be better switched off !

There are no steps which makes it interesting for getting in and out. You sort of slide in and out over a concrete bank. The main hot pool is huge with other hotter and cooler pools and channels from it. There is a cave which is 4 metres deep at one end of the pool with a waterfall over the entrance. And the bar.. Fantastic. You can buy pizza’s, meals, drinks, what ever takes your fancy and there are partly submerged chairs to sit on too. There was a unique system when I checked in where they took my credit card number so all you have to do is give the bar person your site number and sign your name and it’s all done. The prices were very reasonable too .. $8.00 for a big glass of Chardy. Very pleasant.

Enjoying the Sun
Enjoying the Sun

There is also a huge TV screen over the pool which had the movie Shrek on when I first got in. Early in the evening, it had the league on which I thought was a bit of an atmosphere killer. It was better when it was switched off in between !.. Each to there own.

Kids watching Shrek
Kids watching Shrek

Although this is a commercial Top 10 site and the price is up there at $57 peak for 2 with power, it isn’t too bad when you see what’s there and you’re ready to treat yourself to something special.
TaupoIt’s a novel experience and a first for me here in NZ. This is the only one in NZ like this. Go and spoil yourself.

North Island road trip 2016

Caroline’s Outback Gem

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Caroline had a really popular Celtic cafe and bar in the Whanganui City Centre but tragedy struck and it burnt to the ground. Bouncing back from adversity, she purchased the Arohomo Hotel next to the river which was for sale at the time.

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From the street
From the street

Over the course of the last few years, she has completely rebuilt the Bar and Restaurant and now Caroline’s Boatshed is one of Whanganui’s finest eating out establishments.
Caroline's BoathouseHaving quite a lot of land behind the Restaurant, with her Caretaker, Bruce, they’ve developed this into a well equipped Motorhome park complete with 30 powered sites, a dump station, showers and a washing machine.

The carpark and Caroline’s Boathouse

At $15 a night for a powered site for 1 or $25 for two, it’s very good value.

The outbuilding at the back.
The outbuilding at the back.

For me, being right next to the river, a flat bike ride to town, it’s a magic discovery

North Island road trip 2016

In sight of the mountain

Friends in New Plymouth suggested I should have a look at Opunake but on the way from Hawera, I read about a small campsite at Kaupokonui Beach which is not far on the Opunake side of Manaia, about 4ks so I thought I’d give it a shot.
KaupokonuiThe campsite itself was down in a valley next to a river entrance to the sea with huge sandhills opposite. It looked the business but before I went down the valley, I stopped at the top to see if there was any internet around.. There was, so off I went.

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Campground with view
Campground with view

I met Jim in the office who was very a happy friendly guy who said that if I stayed for three days, it would be $15 per night.  I still had another week of unsupervised travel before Fiona came down so it sounded like a good plan 🙂
I parked up and almost immediately met my neighbours who were in their new Carado, which is made in the Hymer factory and is identical to the Dethleffs Sunlight. Dot and Ron were cruising in their new van and were originally from  Wellington. They have just sold their house and looking at what to do next.

Whitebaiters enjoying the river
Whitebaiters enjoying the river
Looking across from the Dunes
Looking across from the Dunes

The campground is great as it sits on a plateau above the river entrance. The level below is a favourite spot for whitebaiters and there is a footbridge which makes the Sandhills opposite, easily accessible.

More of the playground, campground at the top level
From the bridge
The campground. Office in the background
The river mouth with people fishing
The sandhill opposite

I went for a couple of walks around and the first thing you notice is the quiet, the clean air and for the time I was here, it was non stop sunshine and no wind.
I also met three caravan/bus loads of people from Wanganui here for the weekend.

Our friends from Wanganui enjoying the sun.
Our friends from Wanganui enjoying the sun.

With the first Bledisloe test looming that night, he was having trouble with his sky card which I tested in our tv as well for him but I suspect it needs resetting by sky for not having had power for a few weeks.

Nice pic of Rafe with the mountain
Nice pic of Rafe with the mountain

I went to sleep ignoring the rugby but happened to wake up at midnight anyway and watched it then on Prime.. Great game.
For its money, it’s a nice camp in a great location and it’s not surprising it gets really busy in summer.

North Island road trip 2016

Listening to the waves

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Arriving in New Plymouth around lunchtime, I thought I’d try to park so I could easily catch up with a work colleague from the Herald.  He lived in Fitzroy and as the Camp on the beach which was virtually at the end of his road and had a great review, I checked in. The very friendly lady gave me a swipe card for the barrier and a code for the toilets, showers and laundry.

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The Walkway winding its way along the waterfront. The campground is behind.
The Walkway winding its way along the waterfront. The campground is behind.

It was $40 for two nights so I thought that was reasonable  and went and parked and plugged in. There were a few other Motorhomes there but it was nice and quiet. All you could hear was the surf which was nice.
I gave Rob a quick call to see where he was up but he was busy on a job and so I went for a walk along the beach and later wandered up the road to his place when he had finished. His house was literally at the top of the campground and about 50 metres away.WavesIt was nice to see Rob and his wife Bonnie as It had been a few years since I’d seen them. They popped down later in the afternoon to see Rafe and join me for a drink which was great.WavesRob showed me where the coastal walkway was which went right through the camp. It starts round by the Port and goes for miles along the waterfront and around to Bell Block and it’s well used. In the morning, after I’d done some washing in the laundry, I jumped on my bike and went for a ride. I went around as far Te Rewa Rewa bridge which lines up really nicely with Mount Taranaki as you’ll see from the top piccy.

The Len Lye centre with the old pub beside
The Len Lye centre with the old pub beside

Later in the day, I went around to Robs and he very kindly drove me around some of the sights of New Plymouth. From the port, to the Len Lye centre which is amazing and out to Waitara, Bell Block to the end of the walkway. It was fantastic. I didn’t realise New Plymouth had so much going on.

The end of the walkway at the port
The Len Lye centre with the old pub beside

Later in the day, we had a drink and tea at Rob and Bonnies, and Robs brother Jim, who I also worked with was coming around for tea with his wife Lin. I haven’t seen Jim for donkeys years so it was really great to see them too. A real reunion.

It doesn't matter where you are in New Plymiuth, you know exactly where you are when you see this.
It doesn’t matter where you are in New Plymiuth, you know exactly where you are when you see this.

Tea was fantastic and after a great evening, I walked the 50 metres or so down the hill to Rafe. I knew there was a reason why I wanted power and the temperature being 5C it was soon very obvious 🙂
A perfect couple of days, another nice camp on the waterfront and very handy for the reunion with my friends. Thanks again Rob for the great welcome and showing me around.

North Island road trip 2016

Staying with the Schoolhouse

The Whangamomona Holiday Park was setup by the Stratford Council using the old school house on a local park ground which was also used by the Rugby Club. It is now run by the local community.

The Schoolhouse now houses a kitchen, toilets and showers
The Schoolhouse now houses a kitchen, toilets and showers

The school was closed down in 1979 and several buildings taken away but the old schoolhouse still remains. Some of the older buildings also remain and are used as Backpackers cabins with bunks in them.
WhangamomonaIts a perfectly flat parking area divided by a hedge between powered and non powered sites. There is a well setup playground and an eclectic bunch of Exercycles in the grass which you can use if you like. An open air Gym!
WhangamomonaThere’s also the odd chook and some miniature ponies running around free too.
There’s a kitchen which is being replaced by a newer one in the schoolhouse, loos recycling and and outside wash up area.
At $15 a head including power with everything in good order and clean, I thought it was pretty reasonable.

The camp office
The camp office

The camp manager Richard lives on site and seems like a good chap too. I was given a guided tour around the camp and through the old schoolhouse.

The Moon is up early
The Moon is up early

A nice spot and an easy walk to the pub and the village.

North Island road trip 2016

Down by the riverside

One of the great things about traveling on your own is that as most of the campgrounds charge by the person rather than by the park, it’s quite cheap to stay wherever you like. I’m meeting Fiona in Wellington later in the week so it’ll be time to be sensible again 🙂

Nice Bbq area
Nice Bbq area

I checked in at the Tauramunui Motor Camp which is beside the river. After meeting the owner who gave me a good run down on the road to Whangamomona and gave me a brochure, showed me where to park. He’s a character, an ex Merchant Navy seaman from the UK with lots of stories to tell. He was really helpful and offered several brochures on the highway which was great and gave me confidence for the trip.  He was telling me, they’d had a huge amount of rain and as it was all grass parking, there were some no go areas with the grass being too soft.
TaumarunuiAt $16 including a NZMCA discount for a powered site, I thought this was pretty good and it would enable me to use the new Philips induction plate I’d just got, being on power. These plates are so efficient. In with the frozen peas into a pot and after just over a minute or so, they’re ready to go. Cooking steaks or meat takes a little longer. Fantastic.

Nice Barbecue area outside the Kitchen
Herbs you can help yourself to.
Play area for the nippers

I went for a walk down to the front of the park and it borders on the river. A nice spot.
TaumarunuiAround the back of the camp were cabins in the trees and in the middle a playground for the kids and the ablutions, showers and Kitchen block. All nice and clean and in good shape. I was there on my own until about 7pm when two or three camper vans popped in. The place still felt empty but it is the middle of winter 🙂

Coromandel 2016

Smiling Faces

There’s nothing quite like a great welcome when you first arrive to check in for a spot in a Holiday Park.  Helen and Trevor have been managing Coromandel Top 10 Holiday Park for the owners while they take a break overseas.

The Welcome Station
The Welcome Station

After seeing the state of the not quite finished NZMCA park, I decided to check in to the Coromandel Top 10 Holiday park and what a great welcome 🙂

Due to the huge amounts of rain, the grass was a muddy bog and everyone was huddled in a corner on the tar seal. There had been a few towed out that morning and more were rescued over the next few days !

coromandel I was given a nice park on Gravel with plenty of room around me with nice hedges separating the parking spots. Dump station just opposite and easy to get a big Motorhome into.

There is a heated swimming pool which some brave people were swimming in when I arrived back from a walk into town and it wasn’t a warm summer night either! The pool was warm but the lights were off and they’d forgotten about towels too. They were having fun with their children who were in too.  

coromandelI was on my own and with winter rates it was $22 a night with power and the use of everything which I thought was pretty good for an effortless couple of nights in a clean and well kept Holiday Park.

A Villa you can rent
A Villa you can rent

The kids in the park on Saturday certainly enjoyed it.

Auckland Parks, Close to home, Day Trips, Friends, Hot pools

Keeping warm in the big Freeze

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
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.

The Permanent area
The pool entrance
Outside the Railway Museum

the next morning, Fiona was keen to re visit the Antique shop at Helensville railway station so we went around there and quickly checked out the Railway Museum and café for a cuppa.

Chris and Gary (walking away) with their Fuso
Chris and Gary (walking away) with their Fuso

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.

Coromandel 2016

The Sports Club

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It doesn’t get much better than this. In a great spot, perfectly flat parking, Power, Water,  a very handy bar if you need one and cooked dinner next to a Golf course and Mini Golf.. where?  At the Pauanui Club.  And only $8 a day for parking with the power and access to the loos.

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Pauanui
Rafe plugged in, Club in the background

I was on my last night after doing the round trip from Thames via Coromandel and Whitianga meeting heaps of neat new people and catching up with some old friends too.  A great few days.

Mini Golf
For the kids, conveniently right next to the bar
Airstrip next door
Golf

So its nice to kick back, plug in and make it easy. The grass is really well drained and is solid so I have no worries about the rain or it getting muddy.

Plenty of Room
Plenty of Room

We’ve stayed here before earlier this year when it was warmer and I’ve also done a blog on it. Its worth having a look at the last blog as it was done in summer and there were a few more people around.

Pauanui beach
Pauanui beach.. from the earlier blog in Summer

Since my last visit, the water has been finished off at the parking spots and it’s all looking good.

The club is a magic spot, they’re friendly helpful people and with a bike, from here it’s not far to anywhere.

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Coromandel 2016

Watch where you put your feet

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As I left Coromandel, I popped down to the NZMCA park to say goodbye to several friends in different Motorhomes and Caravans.

I had a plan to go around to the eastern side and head down towards Pauanui  or Whitianga. As I checked out with my new friends from Christchurch, Rory and Henny, they were heading that way too and were happy for me to tag along so we were off to Whitianga.

I had made a loose arrangement to catch up with a new Dethleffs White Magic owner Paul and his wife Judith. The White Magic is the new version of the Globe 4 like ours but with a few different options and I was keen to see both them and their new van.

After a windblown crossing of the hills above Coromandel I stopped at The Esplanade at Whitianga for a cup of coffee and Paul and Judith arrived not long after.

simpsons
Looking down to the end of the spit at Simpson Beach

I had another cup of coffee with them and after lots of swapping notes, they went for a walk into town, so I headed back to Simpsons Beach Camp where I was going meet up with the Rory, Henny, Dave and Karen in their caravans.

Rafe, Rory and Henny and Dave and Karen's caravan
Rafe, Rory and Henny and Dave and Karen’s caravan

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simpsons

This camp is owned by an elderly couple, the Simpsons, who donate the $10 charge they make per night to a charity of their choice every year and it is just a fantastic spot right on a great beach. There is fresh rain water available and a black water only dump station. Its just a magic spot and a great swimming beach in summer. .. or winter if you’re brave!

We were sharing the area with a lot of Sheep, so the only thing we had to watch for between Motorhomes and Caravans was sheep poo and there was plenty of it !

Simpsons Beach
Simpsons Beach

Paul and Judith popped in to see Simpsons Beach to check it out for a future stay and agreed, it was a lovely spot but they were committed to carry on to Matarangi for the night.  It was great to see them.

Paul and Judiths Dethleffs White Magic
Paul and Judiths Dethleffs White Magic

As this blog had just hit the 100, 000 hits mark at 5.00am that morning, I was keen to crack open a nice Italian red and celebrate with them.  At around 4:30, we had a few drinks in Rafe as the showers rolled through.

A couple of hours later, I cooked up a lovely steak before Rory summoned be by phone from next door, so they could teach me a new game of cards they all played.  I cant quite remember the name of it.. 10 something but it doesn’t have suites and is a little like snap without the snap 🙂  A great game and they were great company.

The next morning was time for lots of cups of coffee  and walking.

Rafe at Simpsons Beach
Rafe at Simpsons Beach

It is such a great spot. Rory, Henny along with Dave and Karen were heading to Hot Water beach and invited me to go too, but with only one night left before Fiona came home, I thought I’d head to Pauanui for the night as it was  that little bit closer to home and its nice to plug in as well.

Its not the first time I’ve stayed here before in summer and it never disappoints.