Tag Archives: Extra Value Parking

Wellington 2026

Heading Back for WOW

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We were really lucky to get tickets for WOW and were looking forward to it, especially given the disappointment of not being able to continue further down the West Coast. However, being positive about things, I was looking forward to popping into Havelock on the way through to Renwick, where we planned to stay.

Stopping in at Havelock, we found the locals were having a bit of a marathon, which seemed to include people from all around the district. There were tons of people about, and everyone seemed to be having a ball.

The Stage setup before the start

After watching some of the action, we headed across the road to a café and enjoyed a great lunch.

The Renwick Arms Country club.
Renwick with the club at the other end

We spent about an hour there before leaving for the Renwick Arms Country Club. I’d rung earlier and spoken to Sharon, who was very welcoming, and we found ourselves a great spot on their back lawn, right next to a powered site.

Renwick Arms parking

That night, we went inside and enjoyed a fantastic meal with some of the club members. It’s an amazing spot, and the food was just superb.

Great parking with power

The Club President wandered over and introduced himself, and we soon discovered that we were both photographers. He had worked for the NZDF, while I had spent my years in newspapers, but we had several common friends.

It was really nice to chat with someone who had also dealt with chemicals and darkrooms. Took me right back to the old days! 🙂

We had a great couple of nights there, but it was time to roll on.

We headed off early in the morning to the racecourse dump station before making our way to Picton. We had lunch and a wander around town, enjoying the sunshine until it was time to check in for the ferry.

Downtown Picton
Looking over to the Marina in Picton
Having Lunch in Picton looking across to the Ferry

With glorious sunshine and hardly a breath of wind, we were all set for a nice sailing back to Wellington.

Having Lunch in Picton looking across to the Ferry
The Tory Channel
Looking back in the Tory Channel
Tory Channel
Tory Channel
Heading North across Cook Strait
On the way back. I sent this to my son for fun?
Under way to the South

Arriving in Wellington around 6 pm, we headed up the motorway and back to Plimmerton, where we plugged in for our two nights in Wellington.

The following day, after a bit of a lie-in, we headed into the city by train late in the morning, looking for somewhere nice for lunch.

Click on the Gallery below for an enlarged Slideshow

The Beehive and the olde wooden building next door
Lovelel walking around the streets of Wellington
Amazing McDonalds in Wellington
Outside before the start of WOW
The Stage setup before the start

We ended up at a Malaysian restaurant tucked away in one of the side streets. It was absolutely amazing and extremely good value, especially considering just how good the food was.

A visit to Farmers, Whitcoulls and a few other shops followed, before we eventually ended up in a pub and then made our way to the Wearable Arts Show.

Outside before the start of WOW

And what a show it was!

There were two opera singers who were just fabulous, and the Wearable Arts creations just kept coming. I overheard someone criticising the show for having too much dancing and not enough emphasis on the clothes. Perhaps there was a little of that, but I thought they got it pretty much right.

The whole show was absolutely amazing, and the creativity on display was something else.

The show was all done and dusted by around 9.30 pm, and we only had a 200-metre walk back to the railway station before catching the train home to Plimmerton.

Early the next morning, we were up and underway, heading north towards Turangi.

We stopped just out of Sanson at the Woolshed Café. It’s always great coffee and food there, with easy motorhome parking, which makes it a favourite stop.

After topping up with diesel in Sanson, we headed north again.

Ironically, by the time I finally got to Turangi, I was starting to feel a whole lot better!

Funny how things work out sometimes.

Rafe’s tracker map to Plimmerton – Armada GPS
Wellington 2026

Over to Richmond and Some Flying!

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The last few times we’ve stayed in the Nelson area, we’ve based ourselves in Richmond.

Click on any Image to enlarge

Looking back towards the road

There are two caravan and motorhome parks here at the racecourse, and we’ve stayed in both. One has a few trees scattered around, while the other is wide open with solid gravel pads. On the way over, I’d rung ahead and booked a site for a few more days to recover. As it turned out, we ended up on the open-air side, with the gravel pads.

Fiona grabbing the washing

It’s a really nice setup, run by a lovely couple, Lynn and Jude from their own motorhome. They’ve got things well organised, and it’s very affordable too.

Looking over the Racecourse and towards Nelson

They were needing some drone images but being right in the flight path for Nelson Airport, I was a little unsure about the whole thing. I decided to download an app that allows you to apply for permission to fly. It’s called AirShare.

As long as I stayed below the tops of some really tall trees on the property, I had an hour to get the drone up and capture some images.

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What an amazing system! It was really easy to use. All I had to do was lodge a flight path, say where I was, who I was and what I was planning to do. Within minutes, my flight plan came back approved.

Yippee! Away we go!

It’s a great system for anyone with a drone, particularly when you’re in an area where flying is restricted. It certainly made the whole process painless.

The park had quite a few full-timers living there, but there was still plenty of room, and everything was very tidy. It was also an easy walk to Richmond Mall and some great restaurants, so we didn’t have to worry about cooking. Always a bonus!

Opposite the Redwood Stables Holiday park is this amazing new complex. We had lunch at Jose Garage.

Unfortunately, we were still feeling pretty miserable, and after a bit of discussion, we decided it was time to call it quits on our South Island adventure and head home to get over this vicious flu.

It was time to ring Bluebridge and see if we could change our tickets to get home a little earlier.

While sitting around in the sun with my tablet, I managed to get two tickets to the Wearable Art Awards in Wellington for the day after we arrived back.

Our old friends Mark and Dinah, who have been competing in the event almost since it began, had won an award. Fantastic! We were absolutely thrilled for them, and it was something really special to look forward to.

After another couple of lovely days in the sun, wandering around some of the local shops and enjoying Richmond, it was time to start getting ready for the trip home.

Our little spot in Richmond

Neither of us was in particularly good nick, so we figured it was time to be sensible.

Sometimes the best decision on a motorhome trip is knowing when to call it a day.

Rafe would be heading back across the Strait, and we’d be looking forward to getting home, getting well and catching up with some old friends.

Not quite the end to our South Island trip that we’d planned, but there was still a little bit of excitement waiting for us in Wellington!

Rafe’s tracker map to Richmond – Armada GPS

Wellington 2026

Off to the South Island

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We’ve been building up to this trip for a while, heading off to the South Island to catch up with some friends we haven’t seen for a while and have a good look around at some of the things we think we’ve missed over our last few visits.

Unfortunately, there was a nasty coughing flu doing the rounds, and we both managed to catch it. Rather than sensibly cancelling or postponing our ferry crossing, we decided to push on. Probably not the smartest decision, but hey, we were off!

Our first stop was the NZMCA park at Turangi, a place we’ve stayed at a few times before. It was just like pulling on a big, comfy blanket. We could simply blob out, do nothing and recover a bit. The sun was shining, so all was good.

The next morning, we headed off to Waiouru and stopped at the Army Museum for a coffee and something to munch on before the next leg of the journey. From there, we continued on to Sanson for lunch before pressing on towards Plimmerton, where we were staying for the night.

Click on any Image to Enlarge

At Waiouru

The weather was still lovely, but we were both battling the germs, so we did our best to keep to ourselves and not share our little bundle of joy with anyone else.

The Plimmerton NZMCA park is just magic, and having a powered site made it even better. It was still pretty cold, with that Southerly coming up from the South Island, so our new ceramic heater was absolutely fantastic. It certainly made life inside Rafe a lot more comfortable.

Plimmerton. we’re over against the big shed with power

We had an extra day before the ferry crossing, so we thought we’d make the most of it the following morning. With the railway station only about 100 metres or so from the park, it was very handy for jumping on a train into Wellington.

Plimmerton.. we’re over on the left in the distance.

About 30 minutes later, we were pulling into Wellington Railway Station, right in the heart of the city.

Plimmerton Railway Station

We both really like Wellington. It’s an easy city to get around on foot, and the train system is fantastic if you want to get out and about a bit further.

Busy busy

I actually went to school here when I was a grasshopper, from about 8 to 10 years old, before we moved to Auckland. So it’s always nice to come back, wander around and take it all in again. 🙂

Click on the Gallery below for a larger Slideshow

The Railway Station
Inside the Railway Station
Nice old building
Wellington Train station
Ouside the Train station

We headed off to a café for lunch and then had a wander around the streets before making our way back to the railway station for the trip home to Plimmerton.

The next morning was going to be an early start. We had to be up and about, get Rafe into the city and catch the ferry across to Picton.

The South Island was waiting, and we were finally on our way!

Rafe’s tracker map to Plimmerton – Armada GPS
Events, Rallies, Wairarapa 26

The 2026 Dethleffs Get Together – Part 2

We were into the last full day of catching up with everyone, and it kicked off with a visit at the far end of the carpark from the Ulysses Motorcycle Club, who arrived with a line-up of amazing motorbikes.

Click on any Image to enlarge.

They were a big attraction, and after plenty of admiring and chatting, about six energetic souls headed off on their push bikes to explore the area properly.

After that, there was the usual relaxed carpark catch-up session. Fiona headed into town for a walk while I wandered into the Coach House Museum again. It really is very well done, with some fascinating displays. There’s even a buggy you can sit in and “travel” around the city via a large TV screen. It is much better than it sounds!

The blacksmith’s shop was another highlight, with a whole series of live machines that start up at the push of a button to demonstrate how parts of a coach wheel were made. Very clever, and great to see it all working.

Coach House Museum

On the way out, I had a lovely chat with a couple at reception who were also Army people. He had previously been a Beefeater in the UK and was an incredible source of information about military medals. I could have stood there talking for ages.

Day 2 in the Sunshine

Later in the afternoon, we regrouped for our daily debrief before heading into town together for dinner at Murray’s Irish Bar. The food was fantastic and very reasonably priced, and there were quite a few keen to properly test the Guinness! It was a great night, and a bit later than planned we all wandered back to the museum under the evening sky.

A great day in a neat little town.

The next morning, we gathered one last time for a farewell coffee before everyone headed off in different directions. It had been a wonderful catch-up, with lots of familiar faces and plenty of laughs. Well done to Richard and Carol for organising such a well-run event in a terrific location.

Fiona and I headed towards Marton to pick up SH1 and travel north via Taihape. Just before midday, we pulled into our favourite café in Taihape — and who should arrive but our next-door neighbours from Devonport.  A complete surprise. We enjoyed an easy lunch and coffee together before getting ready to move on.

As we were leaving, I thought I heard my name. Sure enough, it was Peter and Charmaine, who had been parked right beside us at the event. Peter had heard that SH1 north was closed due to a serious accident, so suddenly our tidy travel plans were up in the air.

At the Taihape Golf course waiting…

Fiona went for a wander around Taihape while we went back into the café to figure out our options. In the end, we decided to head just up the road to the Taihape Golf Club and stay the night, then reassess in the morning.

We’d only just parked up, opened a few vents, and poured the coffee when Peter heard that the road north had reopened. So, off we went again! By then it was about 3pm, but we still had enough time to make it to Taupō, where we stayed at the Taupo Racecourse.

Our first visit to the Taupo NZMCA park at the Racecourse

I was slightly disappointed we didn’t get to stay at the golf course after all, but it was nice to be on the homeward stretch, and we got to have our first night in Taupo Racecourse. All in all, a fabulous weekend.

Thanks again to Richard and Carol for putting together such a great event

Wairarapa 26

An amazing Little Town Called Takapau

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…and an equally amazing little park-over-property to go with it.

At this time of year, when you ring up at short notice, you tend to hold your breath as you ask if there’s any room at the inn. This time, luck was on our side, and we managed to secure a couple of nights in Takapau.

Click on any Image to Enlarge

Lovely spot and although it rained, it was solid underneath.

Some years back, during one of the Dethleffs Owners Group gatherings I organised, I got chatting with a couple who mentioned they had once run the campground here. Their advice was simple: if you’re ever in the area, you must stay there.  So, we were doing exactly as we were told 🙂

The Norsewear shop!

On the way through, we couldn’t help but stop at Norsewood, just north of Dannevirke. There’s an amazing woollen wear and general clothing shop there, full of beautiful jumpers and yes, I bought one. Really nice people running it too. The weather wasn’t playing ball, so we didn’t linger, but we’ve been here before and there are plenty of photos from previous visits.

At Takapau POP

When you head into a small regional town and pull into a park-over-property, you’re never quite sure what to expect. What we found here was an absolute gem, run by two wonderful people, Pauline and Russell, who couldn’t have been more welcoming or helpful.

The setup is essentially a house on a large section, with several powered sites out the front. Visitors have access to two well-appointed bathrooms inside the house, complete with showers and toilets. There is also a large communal lounge and a kitchen area, which makes it feel very relaxed and homely.

Downtown Takapau with the 4 Square on the right

Best of all, it’s only about a ten-minute walk into the centre of town, where there’s a well-stocked Four Square supermarket and an excellent fish and chip shop. Really, what more could you want??

Downtown Takapau

While we were there, Fiona was keen to visit nearby Ongaonga, where she spent time as a child visiting her grandparents, who ran a small farm in the area. We had a good look around the road she remembered but couldn’t quite find the house. It turned up later on Google Maps as is always the way!  The weather was a bit hit and miss with showers, but we’ve travelled through this area before in better conditions and it’s still a lovely part of the country.

Click on the Gallery below for an enlarged Slideshow of Ongaonga

Ongaonga
Ongaonga
At the Ongaonga Museum
At the Ongaonga Museum
At the Ongaonga Museum
At the Ongaonga Museum
At the Ongaonga Museum
At the Ongaonga Museum
At the Ongaonga Museum
At the Ongaonga Museum
At the Ongaonga Museum
Ongaonga

We stopped in the Ongaonga township for a cup of tea at the café and a wander around the historic buildings. It really does feel like stepping back in time. The locals have done a fantastic job preserving the town, and everything is beautifully maintained.

The view of the neighbours at Takapau 🙂

All up, we had a great couple of days here and really enjoyed our time with Russell and Pauline. It’s one of those memorable POPs that’s now firmly added to the must-visit-again list.

Rafe’s tracker map to Takapau and Ongaonga – Armada GPS
Close to home, Waikato

Lovely Parkland Parking in Waiuku

I was on a bit of a mission. I needed to get some leaky taps replaced out at Zion Motorhomes, and I had to be in Pokeno by 8am on a Tuesday. Anyone who knows me knows… I’m not a morning person! ?

Click on any Image to Enlarge

The lake next to the Club

Solution?  I’d been wanting to check out the Waiuku Cossie Club’s motorhome parking and explore the township properly, so this was the perfect excuse.

Lovely outlook

I left Devonport around lunchtime on Monday and cruised down the Southern Motorway. Traffic was light, and I found myself in Waiuku early in the afternoon.

Parked next to the Wizard

On the edge of the carpark, in his motorhome, was my neighbour Wizard, doing a few running repairs on his newish Roller Team. He’s a full-timer and a real character.

The Waiuku Club

The setup here is great. There are three blocks of power boards with around eight sockets each. One quirk: when you pay your $25 with power, you also leave a deposit for a key to the power boards so you can switch your socket on.

The Bridge to Waiuku

After I’d paid, I found a spot near Wizard. He was plugged into a board nearby and kindly used his key to power up a socket for me, a great neighbour to have!

Click on the Gallery below for a Slideshow of Waiuku

Lovely Parking
The Historic Church in town
Downtown Waiuku
The Kentish Hotel
The park opoosite the Kentish Hotel looking out towards Glenbrook Steel Mill.
History everywhere
Loveley outlook

I’d driven through Waiuku quite a few times before, but only stopped briefly, so it was nice to have time for a proper wander. There’s a real charm to the place with plenty of older houses being lovingly restored and a tidy, vibrant main street.

The club’s motorhome park is tucked beside a lake, with a walk bridge that takes you straight into town in about 10 minutes. It’s a lovely, quiet spot. If you’re a member of the Clubs NZ network, you can also enjoy meals and drinks at the club, another bonus.

The park opposite the Kentish Hotel looking out towards Glenbrook Steel Mill.

All up, a great place to park up, unwind, and enjoy a charming little town.

Rafe’s tracker map to Waiuku
– Armada GPS

Wairarapa 25

Brewtown and a visit to the Gallipoli Display

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Our first morning at Brewtown kicked off with a great wander around the place it’s huge! The bars are all built into old warehouses, so the ceilings soar more than four or five metres high, giving everything a real feeling of space and energy.

Booking in was a bit of a mission, though a funny one in hindsight. While we were still in Greytown, I tried to book online using my phone, only to discover (as you sometimes do with iPhones) that the site didn’t play nicely. After leaving a message on the answerphone for Phil, the Manager/Owner, I gave it a go on the iPad, and it worked perfectly first time!

The Boneface Bar

Te Aro

Brewing lessons at Te Aro

Five minutes later, Phil called me back. We had a great yarn about websites, the booking process, and funnily enough he knew this blog! Even weirder, as I popped out later to chat with someone in Greytown, I spotted a Brewtown ute… it turns out Phil was just on the other side of the hedge from us in his caravan. Small world!

Wild Kiwi Distillery

Wild Kiwi Distillery

Fiona was keen to catch the train into Wellington, and with the station just across the road, it couldn’t be easier. Unfortunately, trains weren’t running that weekend, so we jumped on a replacement bus which took just over an hour and actually quite comfortable.

Outside the train station

From the bus on the way into Wellington

Amazing Wellington Railway Station

We made a beeline for Te Papa, especially to see the Gallipoli exhibition, which Peter Jackson had a major hand in. It did not disappoint, incredible, moving, and completely immersive.

A famous Medic having to deal with another injured soldier.

Both Fiona and I come from staunch Army families, so the exhibition really hit home. The attention to detail, the storytelling, and the sheer size of the figures was breathtaking. Absolutely worth the visit.

Along the waterfront on the way to Te Papa

After exploring a few more of the museum’s exhibits, we stopped at a café before catching the bus back to Upper Hutt.

Click on the Gallery below for enlarged Te Papa Images  

Outside the train station
Upper Hut’s main street
From the bus on the way into Wellington
Amazing Wellington Railway Station
Along the waterfront on the way to Te Papa
A booby trap.
Rations
A famous Medic having to deal with another injured soldier.
A nurse who was looking forward to meeting her soldier brother finding out that he’d just been killed in action.
Looking back into the city

Back at Brewtown, it was time to pop into one of the craft bars though despite being at a beer haven, I found myself ordering a Chardonnay, while Fiona had a G&T.  Old habits die hard! The bar we picked was Te Aro Brewing Co, a great spot to unwind.

Upper Hut’s main street

The next day, Fiona caught up with an old friend at a local café, and I later joined them for lunch after strolling through the mall. Upper Hutt is a nice little town, easy to get around and very friendly.

The Bar right behind us, we’re parked to the left.

That night, we had dinner at Fermented, the restaurant literally 20 steps behind Rafe. Great atmosphere and even better food.

Click on the Gallery below for an enlarged Slideshow of Brewtown

A Chef busy at the Bodeface bar.
Looking along the outside decks of three Bars
The Boneface Bar
Brewing lessons at Te Aro
Te Aro Bar. We had an amazing shared platter here.
Te Aro
Te Aro
Wild Kiwi Distillery
Wild Kiwi Distillery
Wild Kiwi Distillery
At the Brewtown Leisure area.
Fiona walking back to the Truck
The Bar right behind us, we’re parked to the left.
After tea
Close to the action
The markets in action
Fiona getting the veges.

We were warned that the Farmers Market opposite us might get a bit noisy early in the morning, but we barely noticed a thing. It was super handy and full of good stuff. Fiona stocked up on fresh veges, which set us up nicely for the days ahead.

Close to the action

Fiona getting the veges.

After that, it was time to hit the motorway north. Our three days at Brewtown and in Wellington had been full of fun, flavour, and a bit of nostalgia too.

Rafe’s tracker map to Brewtown – Armada GPS

Wairarapa 25

Bulldozers, Boats and Balloons

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There are only a few places in New Zealand where boats are launched by bulldozers, and Ngawi is probably the most iconic. About half an hour south of Martinborough, this quirky fishing village is an absolute must-see if you’ve never been.

Click on any Image to Enlarge

Looking along the Beach

Before we left Martinborough, I tried several times to contact the local campground in Ngawi but never got a reply. As it turned out, the weather had shifted and with strong westerlies predicted, maybe it was for the best, it’s quite an exposed spot. Still, we decided to take a scenic detour on our way back to Greytown to check it out.

Looking down on the beach

Kids on the beach

The drive south from Martinborough is beautiful. As we cruised along the coast towards Ngawi, we passed through a string of charming, slightly weathered coastal settlements. The kind of places that made me think: “This is Old NZ.”

Easy retrieval. the whole process took minutes.

Looking along the Beach

Eventually, we rolled into Ngawi, and what a place it is! Picture a circular gravel beach, ringed with bulldozers lined up like soldiers, each paired with a massive fishing boat on a giant trailer with a huge drawbar. No ramps needed here, just clever Kiwi engineering making the most of what’s available.

Our grassy spot looking back towards Wellington

Behind our grassy spot

We found a spot to park up right on the beach in one of the grassy freedom camping areas, with views across to Wellington. Just around the corner, tucked in behind some trees, was a trailer café selling the freshest fish and chips, melt-in-your-mouth stuff! They were proud of their food, and rightly so, it was simply the best.

Ngawi Local shop opposite our park.

Amazing Baches

We sat on a bench beside Rafe, soaking up the view and enjoying lunch with a cup of coffee from the van. Pure bliss.

Afterwards, we took a wander past the bulldozers and down along the windswept beach. Such an incredible, rugged spot, unique and unforgettable.

We thought we’d carry on to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse, but a sign a few k’s down the road warned that it wasn’t suitable for long vehicles. With Rafe stretching over 8 metres (plus the bikes on the back), we decided to play it safe and turn around, heading back through Ngawi and north to Greytown.

Looking out towards Wellington

As we made our way up the coast, the weather started to close in from the west, there were clouds building, the light shifting but we’d had the best of it.

One of the Balloons sailing off above Greytown

Back at Greytown Campground, we caught up with Ken again and parked up. As we opened the vents and settled down for a well-earned G&T, we heard a loud whoosh.

Rising balloon

Looking up, we saw a hot air balloon rising up from the domain next door, the burners roaring as it lifted just above the trees, probably no more than 50 metres away. Then another, and another, followed, each one floating eastward over Greytown.

What an incredible end to a brilliant day.

Rafe’s tracker map to Ngawi – Armada GPS

Wairarapa 25

Windmills at the Red Barn

After a great night at Turangi, we hit the road heading south toward Masterton.

Click on any Image to enlarge

At the Red Barn

We weren’t entirely sure how far we’d get, but thought somewhere around Palmerston North would do nicely for the night. Several friends had raved about a Park Over Property called the Red Barn, so I gave them a ring. Colleen picked up, warmly welcomed us, and just like that, we were sorted for the night.

The turnoff for Palmerston North is just a few k’s past the Makohine Viaduct. Not far along that road is Vinegar Hill Campground, and the drive winds up over some pretty steep hills before dropping into long, straight roads with stunning views heading into Palmerston.

The Red Barn

I was very thankful for Rafe’s trusty 3L Iveco engine on those hills; it handled them like a champ.

We arrived at the Red Barn mid-afternoon, sunshine blazing. Colleen came out to meet us and show us where to park, carrying a big bag of feijoas, no less! I absolutely love those things. The smell alone took me straight back to being a wee fella in short pants, mowing the lawn around my parents’ feijoa trees… and inevitably mowing over a few fallen ones too.

Colleen was fantastic, helpful, and full of local knowledge. The park itself is nestled up near some hills that are absolutely covered in wind turbines. It’s a pretty awesome sight watching them all spinning away. Something quite peaceful about it.

We settled in with a sneaky G&T, watched some TV, and enjoyed the simple luxury of powered parking. Bliss.

The next morning, we set off again, aiming for Masterton via Pahiatua. We weren’t quite sure of the best route, and, armed with two GPS systems that completely disagreed, we managed to get ourselves properly lost. Classic!

Getting up close

Eventually, after backtracking and resetting things, one of the GPSs picked up the Fitzherbert turnoff, and up the hill we went, right into windmill country. Seeing them up close is something else, they’re absolutely massive, and when you’re standing underneath them with all the blades whooshing away, it’s pretty surreal.

We cruised through Pahiatua and rolled into Masterton again around mid-afternoon… and would you believe it, brilliant sunshine yet again! The weather forecast had been all doom and gloom, but so far, we were enjoying nothing but blue skies and couldn’t be happier.

Rafe’s tracker map to Red Barn – Armada GPS

Events, Waikato

2025 Dethleffs Get Together in Cambridge

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Cambridge has become another favourite place and with the Raceway providing such amazing facilities for an event like this.  It makes it really easy to organise.

Click on any Image to enlarge

Looking pretty good.

Having a separate area to park, the Restaurant and normally a Burger shop along with the excellent Waikato River Bike Trails along the river means you can’t really go wrong 🙂

The Raceway

This was to be my last Rally as chief bottle washer, so it had to be a good one.

Peter and Judy’s Esprit with us behind. The two oldies!

We arrived just after midday to find Peter and Judy and Joss and Ben had already made themselves comfortable. They had left some room for us right next door 🙂

Peter and Judy’s Motorhome is a 2013 Dethleffs Esprit Low profile which was imported privately from the UK. It has the same 3 litre Iveco motor and associated running gear that we have in Rafe so it goes really well 🙂

It wasn’t long after that before everybody started arriving. Over the course of two days, we ended up with 21 Vehicles. We had quite a few more who were going to come but the over booked diary got in the way 🙂

It wasn’t long before the 4pm happy hour rolled around and with the wind whistling in the driveway, our usual spot under a big tree would have been unpleasant so we all setup up in a big area between two Motorhomes.

Click on the Gallery below for an Enlarged Slideshow

On the bikes – pic by Liz Tahana
On the bikes – pic by Liz Tahana
On the bikes – pic by Liz Tahana
Downtown Cambrideg
In the Restaurant
In the Restaurant
In the Restaurant
The Taem photo
The bike riders
Ben with his van behind at Happy Hour
some of the cars on their way to Frankton

Fiona and I had missed provisioning Rafe as we were depending on the Burger Bar, but it was closed so the only thing to do was join Peter and Judy and others for tea in Restaurant went down well as it was Steak night 🙂

The next morning was when we normally do the bike ride, and I hadn’t really organised anything, but I got our reasonably early to find many were setting up their bikes.

Liz volunteered to take the reins and lead everyone safely down the Waikato River to Tamahere and back with a stop for a cuppa on the way. Fantastic.

While they were busy doing that Fiona and I walked into downtown Cambridge with Peter and Judy for lunch and a look a general look around. 12000 steps odd! And about 3k’s round trip, good for the weight loss program 🙂

The bike riders

Liz leading the charge

We had a few hours after that to catch up with everyone and swap notes on our vehicles.

The Team photo

And an extra team pic

Happy hour came around again along with the team photo and it was nice to be able to introduce the Richard to everyone.

Richard is keen to arrange the next event in the Wairarapa so we’re really looking forward to that.  Richard has lots of experience in organising things and people so I sure next year’s event will be one not to miss!

Click on the Gallery below to see enlarged Happy Hour photos.

Happy hour Saturday
Ben with his van behind at Happy Hour
Happy Hour on Saturday

After the happy hour and photo, we all headed to the restaurant and had a great night there. Great food, great service and good company, what more could you want 🙂

In the morning, we were greeted with the arrivals of some Hot Rods and Motorbikes who briefly met in the carpark then headed off towards Frankton while we were saying goodbye to everyone before we headed for home.

The bikes on Sunday morning setting off for Frankton

some of the cars on their way to Frankton

A fantastic weekend and it went really well.

Rafe’s tracker map to Cambridge Raceway – Armada GPS