On Monday afternoon, we left Taupo after having filled up Rafe with fuel and headed for Napier. It was an easy run through with very little traffic and within a few hours, we found ourselves tootling down the Esk valley wine area into Napier.
The GPS gave us the directions to the NZMCA park at Eriksen rd. We parked Rafe and within minutes of walking around, I met some very friendly Motorhomers from Waiuku travelling together and also heading for the Art Deco events.
Last time we were here this park had just opened and it was little more than a gate to a paddock but it is now, very well setup. The local committee has done a fabulous job of setting this up and it’s huge. There is water, a library, a rubbish recycling area and a big clothesline. The ground is solid, dead flat and well drained and setup for easy parking. About two thirds of it is roped off for expansion and is currently left for making hay. Already it is one of the associations busier parks so hats off to all those involved.

That night there were some nice breezes wafting through which seemed to get rid of some of the humidity which was great.
In the morning, we met some other Dethleffs owners who were full timing in their new Trend. The Trend is quite a bit smaller and a lighter van than Rafe (Globe 4) but well equipped and a smart looking Motorhome. They had sold their house and were travelling around with their small dog trying to decide where they might buy land and build.
We left Eriksen rd around 11am and headed for the supermarket then the dump station then onto the NZMCA park on the waterfront for Motorhomes for the Art Deco event. At $50 for 5-6 nights right on the waterfront and a couple of k’s bike ride into town, this was great value. Within minutes of arriving as the park opened, we bumped into the Waiuku crews we’d met the night before and not long after that, some people we met in caravanning in Taupo rocked into the park as well.
Fiona was on a mission to buy our grandson Ayden a birthday present so we biked into the town. The iconic Masonic Hotel was our first stop for something wet and cold and then after looking around, we found our way to Farmers. I had forgotten how hard it can be to buy for a 7 year old. Fiona rang daughter in law Sarah to get some ideas and in the end, we settled on a Star Wars toy. We had also lost our breadboard for the van so got a replacement one of those too.

With these swinging on my handlebars in a bag, we arrived back to the Rafe an hour or so later when we were invited to a Bbq with our friends from Waiuku who were parked right behind us in three Motorhomes. We briefly caught up with our caravanning friends from Whitianga for a drink before the Bbq. Another great night right next to the beach and while there, more Motorhomes rolled into the park.

After tea, I went for a walk down the beach to empty the rubbish and caught up with Bruce and Raewyn from the Kaipara who we’d met in Taupo in their very new Dethleffs Sunlight. The Sunlight is also a smaller van like the Trend but is slightly bigger than the Trend. They joined us later for a cup of tea in Rafe.
A busy day at the office but a fun day with some nice people.

The weather forecast is looking a bit suspect over the next few days but there are a couple of vineyard restaurants within biking distance from here before the Art Deco events really get started.