On our way north by the Hukerenui Pub is the Jack Morgan Museum. I was interested in this as my old Whalechaser Rorqual was built by a Jack Morgan in Picton and although I was certain there was no connection given the distance, one never knows 🙂
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The Museum
It turns out that the Hukerenui Jack Morgan was a real character and was a local identity an on retirement started his collection which now makes up the contents of the Museum. Some of the locals have done a great job of the gardens next door too.
The Museum
Parking
The Garen with the Pub behind
Nice outdoor seating
His parents owned the pub next door which is where he was born.
The Parking, plenty of room
A really interesting place and if you visit the Museum, you can stay for free on the grass behind. It is $6 a night otherwise. There are toilets there too.
The NZMCA parks are amazing value. Where else can you stay for $3 each overnight and have that nice warm fuzzy safe feeling of not waking up with a mattress van or worse a few inches from your pride and joy.
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The Entrance
We checked out the Rainbow Falls park recently and after some pretty heavy rain too. After seeing some comments about how slushy it was, its nice to see enough gravel has gone down to provide parking for 6 or so big Motorhomes or Caravans. I gather this is slowly going to spread as the grass grows. Great idea.
The local crew have done a fantastic job of the gardens around the Lighthouse too.
Great Gardens too
There were only two caravans there when we arrived and with a fine day forecast for the next day, we made plans to walk down the river right next door with the amazing Rainbow Falls, down to the historic Stone Store. The idea was to have lunch down there and walk back.
Interesting too that the Falls were used to generate one of NZ’s power as one of the first power stations.
We hopped over the fence and got about fifty yards to find the track had been closed off due to “upgrading” so took the car out for a look around instead. I wandered around the top and got some piccies of the falls which was about as far as you could go.
We have been here before in the middle of Summer and it truly is a magic spot. Fiona did the walk last time and I met her down there.
Outside the Stone Store at Kerikeri last time we were here.
Its a lovely spot now and will be popular in Summer and once the Gravel program is finished, it’ll be a great all year round spot to stay.
Well done to those involved.
The Netspeed Speed test from this site.
(Pre Aerial upgrade)
In terms of being in the middle of things, this NZMCA park takes the cake for being handy to everything. Great restaurants, several pubs, lots of history and things to do. It is in Coromandel and is just behind the BP station as you come into the town on the left. Blink and you’ll miss the entrance.
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The NZMCA park looking fabulous
Its is also very conveniently right behind the Coromandel Smoking Company where you can buy everything from smoked fish and other seafood to great cheese from local cheesemakers.
Keeping out the wind and having fun
I have been here in the middle of winter when it had been punished by endless rain and many were camped in a small area of gravel by the entrance. I gather the local managers of the park have a solution to the water problem in winter and there are plans to make it more all weather. Our two nights there were great and there were about a dozen  other motorhomes and caravans who came and went while we were there.
Our first day there, we had lunch at the local pub with friends Rob, Helen and Chloe. Fiona and I shared a seafood basket for $16 which was amazing with bits of everything along with a nice glass of wine.  We decided it was so nice we had to go back later to watch the rugby.. the one with the controversial try! … A great night and an interesting game.
The shop to go to for Happy hour food 🙂
Yum
The Pub
Lunch in the Beer garden
The Seafood basket.. Yum
Rob, Helen, Chloe and Fiona behind enjoying lunch at the pub.
The Tracker and Rafe at the park
The next day, we checked out Driving Creek Railway which is just up the hill from the town.
There is so much to see and do in Coromandel. It is so well setup for Motorhomes too and the park perfectly located to make everything easily within walking distance.
Who else could this be but ex Devonport potter, Barry Brickell.
Unfortunately Barry passed away last year but his Driving Creek Railway business still lives on.  It is an amazing example of what can be achieved by someone with an idea and the drive to see it happen.
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The double decker viaduct
He spent years building up his railway, even making his own trains and designing his own propulsion system using small diesels and hydraulics on the wheels making it very efficient.
One of Barry’s retaining walls 🙂
The view from the Eyeful Tower
Happy people getting off the train
The Carpark
Driving Creek Railway is in Coromandel and has easy parking for Motorhomes too but best to get there early for easier parking.
The view from the viaduct
The train ride takes about an hour and works its way up to the Eyeful tower at the top where there is a fantastic view over Coromandel and across to Waiheke Island. As you go to the top, you cross a couple of viaducts, one of them a double decker. There are several tunnels one of which is lined with pottery tiles made on site.
A train coming through the tunnel with Barry’s tiles
There are also several retaining walls made with Barry’s left over wine bottles. Its great to see they’ve got an extra life apart from just holding the contents.
A fantastic achievement that is also now a great tourist attraction. You can also buy some nice pottery and souvenirs there too.
It is always a great occasion once a year when the nations Dethleffs owners get together for a catchup all in one spot. Its a good opportunity to see what others have done to their vans to make their motorhoming more fun.
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View from the Museum
This year was the biggest yet with 75 motorhomes and caravans which made life interesting to yours truly and my old friend Gary from Taupo to get them all parked. We had a lot of fun as we did it with little walkie talkies that Gary had. The hard part was not being able to have a chat with everyone as they came in, that had to wait for later. As they all had the same sided habitation door, we decided we’d park them in rows with the doors facing together on a 3 metre space and the opposite side being a 4 meter space so that people could escape without skittling tables and chairs etc and it worked really well.
In the social laneFrom the road .. impressive.
The first 40 odd arrived on the Friday and everyone settled in, met old friends and checked out the car museum. The car museum is fabulous. We visited this last March and had a good look through. You can see that here. There are all those cars that we had as kids, the Mark 1 Zephyrs, the Prefects and a lot older. It really is something to see. Outside is normally a NZMCA POP where you can stay overnight and it was nice to see friends Marama and Karen pop in for the night.
After getting back to HQ at the museum, it was open home for motorhomes so a quick vacuum and a tidy up of Rafe and it was visits all around. Lots of fun and it was nice to see people we hadn’t seen for a long time.
Open Homes
At 6pm it was time for a drink in the Marquee and a feed in the Diner which was immediately followed by a great display of the local rock n roll dance club and they were fantastic.
Slightly blurry cell phone pic!
We finished up the day with Dianne and Gary with friends Ian and Lynda in their XLI right next to us. A lot of fun and we had some great laughs.
Ian and Lynda’s XLI on the left, Rafe on the right.The way there from Rafes tracker
A great day and well hosted by Mr and Mrs Dethleff in NZ, Jonas and Irene Ng. Thanks guys and thanks to Dianne for organising  a great day out.
And the Netspeed speed test from this site.
Test Date: 12/11/2016 5:14 PM
Download: 40.43 Mbps
Upload: 12.35 Mbps
Ping: 34 ms
With no jobs in the book and with the sun shining, it was time to hit the road. I had just paid for a years Auckland City Parks pass so I thought I’d try Tauwharanui at the end of the Takatu peninsula, north of Kawau Island.Â
Check these in Hi Res by clicking on them!!
Stunning!
We stayed here more than a year or so go with friends, Gary, Chris and Rob, Helen and Chloe. We only had the one night here so exploring the area wasn’t really on the agenda that particular trip but it’s just a magic place.
At Dusk .. Little Barrier
When I first arrived, I think there was only 1 other person here and I bumped into him on the beach. He’d parked down in the tents only area but I assumed he knew 😀
The next day, I set out with the camera to have a nosy around. The beach is beautiful with Little Barrier just off it and Great Barrier further out. Compared to Auckland, you could almost reach out and touch them.
New Dunes
Rafe tucked in
The Camping area for tent people
The water is stunning with a clean deep blue merging into Turquoise, just like the tropics with beautiful white sand. As you walk further, the beach merges with two more, all part of Anchor Bay.. Just beautiful. I spent a couple of hours just sitting on a rock under a tree just admiring the colours.. sensational.
Beach from Heaven
After getting some nice piccies, I wandered back to the track to find that I’d forgotten which of the many tracks took me back to Rafe. I ended up walking about 3ks just to find my way back 😎 I can hear Fiona saying something like good exercise !
The long road back after the “wrong turn”
At nearly 600 hectares of Regional park, it’s a huge place and there are plenty of interesting walks to go on. There are information boards to guide the way with brochures available. No Dogs as its a pest proof and kiwi zone.
Just behind the sand dunes
A fabulous place and not too far from the big smoke at Auckland.Â
I  can see myself spending lots of time here. 😎
And a screen grab from Rafe’s new tracker system to show its location.
And how we got here, from Rafe’s Tracker system
The Netspeed speed test here..given how isolated it is, this a great result.
Test Date: 3/11/2016 11:49 AM
Download: 15.38 Mbps
Upload: 2.76 Mbps
Ping: 46 ms
One of the trips I’ve always wanted to do while in Wellington was to drive from Lyall Bay all the way around the outside past Seatoun and Worser Bay. The buildings into the cliffs and the rustic charms of the way the houses are all set into the cliffs is amazing. It’s like a different world.
The view
When you come out the other end towards Miramar, there is the old Air Force Base and workshops. These days they’re mostly occupied by Artists and a few tradespeople. The old Senior NCO’s mess is now used by a cafe called The Chocolate Fish BBQ cafe.
At the front doorPlenty of good easy parking
The building has a Historic classification which prevents them from poking holes in it for vents etc so they’ve carefully added a clip on lean to for the kitchen which seems to work quite well for them. The rest of the building is just as it was as a mess building with a few mods for convenience.
My Pork Sandwich
One of the staff was quite a talented artist and has painted all the seats and backs of the chairs with different images which really brightens the place.
The company vehicle
Easy parking
Fiona picking her lunch
Half of Fiona’s Fish Sammy
Chair Back
Chair Back
Chair Back
Chair Back
Chair Back
Chair Back
Chair Back
A picture on the wall of how it looked earlier on..
The food is sensational and very reasonably priced and is very sandwich based but they’re a good hearty size! .. Outside, the views of the city are fantastic, there are plenty of things for kids or grandchildren to play with and best of all, really easy Motorhome friendly parking.
The view
The place oozes history and we found ourselves easily enjoying a couple of hours taking it all in.
It’s always a great experience checking out St Faiths Church and Ohinemutu on the lakefront, when I’m in Rotorua.
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The walk on water window
I can remember coming here when I was in short pants and it still looks as good now if not better.
Inside St Faiths
It’s always quite serene and has an air about it which is nice. I think the thermal steam from the cracks in the road and everywhere probably helps this too.
There were quite a few people there too having a good look around so that’s great for the donation boxes there. A lovely peaceful spot and there’s a couple of overnight spots for motorhomers just around the corner by the boatramp.
I was staying at Caroline’s Outback Campground and with a day where it was threatening to rain, I decided to ride into Wanganui town and have a wee look around.
I stopped down by where the ferry is kept on the river not far from Moutua Park and the buildings around there were just something else.
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Quite a few of them were vacant which gave me reason to think that some of the businesses might be finding it tough but despite that, they’re well maintained and just beautiful buildings. I’m a bit of sucker for things like this, old boats buildings cars.. Just nice to see.
While I was there, a maintainence person came about and started painting the funnel of the river boat. I also came across a lady trying to get a picture of the ball on the waterfront without getting herself in the reflections so I was happy to show her how with the built in cracks on the ball. 😀
After an hour of cruising around, I headed back to the camp before the expected rain hit. Great bike tracks and walkways and a neat little city with lovely buildings.
In Wellington, I received a message from my old friend (and work colleague and Motorhomer) Grant suggesting that we should go and check out the Roxy Theatre in Miramar.
Click on the images to see Hi Res or a slideshow As it was only a few K’s away from our base at Evans Bay, we set out to check it out and it’s a thing of beauty.
Owned jointly by Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk of Weta Workshop fame, it is simply stunning. They’ve owned it for quite a long time but due to their work commitments with the movie industry, they had to put the renovation job on hold until a few years ago.
It was once a shopping centre so it has been a big do up job.
Upstairs with the ceiling
Some of the art
The Cafe and Shop
There is a really nice cafe on the ground floor but the decor and attention to detail with old movie cameras, the art and a huge ceiling mural is just stunning.
In the middle of Miramar shops, it’s something you must check out.
The Weta cave is at the other end of Park ave, which is also worth visiting too. There is easy Motorhome parking in the surrounding streets so easy to get there. Â Thanks Grant for telling us about it.
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.
Its well worth a look through with all sorts of knick nacks from years gone by and there is a café next door in the pub to finish off with a cup of tea.
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