Heading towards Kaiaua for our final night away, we decided to pass through another favorite spot—Paeroa, often hailed as Antique Heaven! With its abundance of vintage shops and quirky finds, it’s the perfect place to take a leisurely stroll and hunt for treasures.
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We both enjoyed a wander through some of the charming antique stores. Fiona, of course, took a longer and more thorough look around while I kept my browsing short and sweet. After about an hour of soaking in the nostalgic atmosphere, we decided it was time to move on.
The drive to Kaiaua was pleasant, and upon arriving at the NZMCA park, we were relieved to find plenty of room. After settling in and opening the vents to let some air circulate through the truck, we couldn’t resist heading straight over to the pub next door.
The beer garden was the perfect spot on such a beautiful day. With a G&T in hand, we soaked up the relaxed atmosphere, enjoying the live music and the warm sunshine. Given my fair European complexion, the shade quickly became my best friend as we unwound in the early evening.
After a bit of a break back in the truck, accompanied by a much-needed cuppa, we made our way back to the pub for dinner. The meal was fantastic, the perfect way to end our day and, indeed, our holiday.
As we savored the evening, reflecting on our trip, it was clear that this was a fitting finale to a wonderful adventure. The combination of good food, great company, and superb weather made for an unforgettable last day.
Tim and Annette, my younger brother (not so little anymore!) and sister-in-law, flew over from Melbourne for a well-deserved break. It has been a while since their last visit, so when Tim shared his packed itinerary, we were really pleased to be able to join them for two nights in Hahei.
Click on any Image to EnlargeInitially, Cathedral Cove wasn’t on the agenda, but with Annette being an avid kayaker and the iconic spot just reopening after the cyclone damage, it quickly became a must-do.
Hahei Beach
They had booked one of the Beachfront Villas at the Hahei Resort, and the team there gave us a motorhome park conveniently almost right behind them. Perfect!
The Villa’s
We arrived on a sunny Thursday afternoon and wasted no time setting up the awning and settling into deck chairs for some shaded relaxation. Tim and Annette arrived later after visiting an old friend in Tauranga. Luckily, Fiona had packed one of our trusty Bargain Box meals, which turned into a lovely, shared dinner, complemented by a few G&Ts.
The next day was all about enjoying Hahei. We wandered into the shopping center for a leisurely lunch before Tim and Annette geared up for their kayak adventure to Cathedral Cove. After a short safety briefing, they were off. Fiona and I opted for a swim back at the beach, enjoying the calm, sunny weather.
Getting instructions.Tim and Annette at Cathedral Cove. Pic by Cathedral Kayaks
When Tim and Annette returned from their kayaking expedition, we gathered on their villa’s deck overlooking the beach. The tales of their paddling adventure were as lively as the backdrop was beautiful. The early breeze had settled, leaving behind a perfectly calm day on the water.
While enjoying the afternoon back on the deck, a familiar face appeared at the top of the stairs, Caroline with a friend! It had been a few years since we last each other, and after a moment of mutual hesitation (the “do-I-know-you” look), and after another old friend Chris, arrived in a car to confirm the situation, we pieced it together 🙂
Tim, Fiona and Annette enjoying a morning coffee on the deck.
Chris and her late husband, Gary, were old boating and motorhome friends, and we had spent many holidays together. It was lovely to see Chris and Caroline again.
The Deck bar area.The amazing bar and social area.
Hahei Holiday Park has always been a favorite of ours, and this visit didn’t disappoint. A new bar, restaurant, and beach club had opened in the campground’s heart, a fantastic addition. That evening, we headed over for burgers and chips, and wow, those burgers were incredible! Quite possibly the best we’ve ever had.
Annette, Me and Tim at the Bar.
We bumped into Caroline and Chris again at the bar, enjoying dinner with their group.
The Kayaks
After another evening together on their front deck, we set off the next morning back to Auckland. We only there for a couple of nights but it was a lot of fun. Nice to see some old friends too.
What a fun weekend. Fiona and I arrived in Waipu Cove just after lunch and found our park almost next to the track over the Sandhills. Very handy but it was too cold for me swim yet 🙂
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That fantastic beachFabulous Beach by the doorstep!
Peter and Judy were right next to us with their 2014 Esprit so it was nice to have probably the oldest Motorhomes out of the 24 that had arrived parked together.
The oldies. .. Peter and Judy’s 2014 Esprit and our 2014 Globe 4.
I spent the early part of the afternoon catching up with people and checking in with people I hadn’t seen for a while.
Everybody getting settled24 Motorhomes.
Happy hour came around and as we were the only ones at right angles to the wind that had a bit of a bite to it, we squeezed in between the old girls, The Globe4 and the Esprit 🙂
Friday night
The next morning, it was about getting ready for the 8k bike ride to McLeod’s Pizza and Brewery bar in Waipu which was mostly on a trail and was about 20 minutes ride away. We started with the customary team photo of all 29 of us and we were away.
29 heading for the Waipu Brewery 🙂 (and pizzas!)
It was a pretty easy ride and was mostly pretty flat. As we arrived early before the Brewery had opened, we headed off for a coffee across the road. Fiona saw one of the girls in the shop sneak off for some more milk 🙂 Great business for them as there were quite a few of us.
Bikes everywhere. Leaving Waipu for the campground.
Chris and Mary and Ben and Joss bought their vans in and joined in the fun.
Martin and Jill’s new Grand Alpa with Chris and Mary’s Esprit
Although there was quite a bit of wind around, it had dropped a bit, and the sun was shining so it was looking good for the Potluck dinner planned for later that day.
The official team pic 🙂
With the wind in the Southeast but a bit less of it, we decided to have the happy hour between the two oldest vans again to shield from the wind. It worked pretty well and then we shuffled off for our team photo.
Happy hour on Friday nightSaturday Happy hour
6 pm came around and it was time for us to move over the Kitchen where there were several tables available which made life easy.
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Up Early 🙂
Bikes everywhere. Leaving Waipu for the campground.
The official team pic 🙂
Saturday’s Happy hour view from the top of the sandhill 🙂
The queue for the food was out of the door and the food was amazing. Everybody made a real effort. A fabulous night and it was fantastic to see everyone tucking in and having fun.
The Camping Ground is one of our favourites with its 10 metre square parks and we were all literally only steps from one of the best beaches in NZ.
A few of us stayed over for another night and after a nice lunch at the Cove Restaurant down the road a bit, we enjoyed a fun happy hour with Mary and Tony outside their new Baby Alpa.
Happy hour on Sunday at Mary and Tony’s
A lot of fun and thanks you everyone for taking part.
We hadn’t long been out of bed on the Saturday morning when Fiona announced,” Let’s get out of town, what about Kaiaua”?
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The Bay View Hotel in Kaiaua
Kaiaua has become our easy bust out of the house destination being not far to drive with a great NZMCA park next door to a fantastic pub and the Fish and Chip shop from heaven 🙂
So, within a couple of hours, we were arriving in Kaiaua. Almost opposite us were full-timers, Kelly and Claire in their Autotrail Delaware. Small world stuff. It turns out that Kelly built a friend’s boat. Moored in the same place as the old family boat Rorqual.
We tootled over next door to the pub next door and there was an amazing band playing called Small stuffed Animals. they were amazing playing all the old favourites.
We also met Vicki and John who are just getting a Caravan ready to hit the road. Vicki grew up in Kaiaua.
I was told that there was a German Ompah band playing the next day and that explained why some of the staff were dressed in the appropriate costume, like the German beer festival. Lots of fun.
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Manu about to deliver some food to a table.
We pretty much spent the rest of the day there and then got fish and chips for tea at the Fish and Chip shop. While we were there, we stumbled on some Liquorice Ice Cream. We last had this with Sambuca over it years ago in Coromandel and it was unbelievable. Well, we’ve found it, and it is made by Lewis Road Creamery… I feel a visit is imminent with the freezer on 🙂
Manu with some happy customers.
The next day, Fiona went for a walk, and I went to chat to the neighbours and later we found ourselves back at the pub where the Herman band was laying. Barman Manu was in his German gear making the most of it and it was a fun afternoon.
Later in the day we checked in to the Pub for tea. I had an unbelievable Pork Roast and Fiona had a Fish Pie… both amazing.
After the Hustle and Bustle of Paihia with the festival, we decided to head for some peace and quiet at the NZMCA park at Rainbow Falls. A nice location away from it all where we blobbed out. I went for a look at the Waterfall .. it would be rude not to 🙂
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The NZMCA park at KerikeriRainbow Falls
We ummed and ahhed about walking down to the Stone Store but decided after our Paihia walking, we’d have a quiet day instead.
The NZMCA park at Kerikeri
Early the next morning, we set off towards Kerikeri to visit the Markets and the Packhouse Cafe. The markets are on every weekend and we had the most amazing lunch in the cafe. I would have to say would be one of the Bay’s easiest and safest parking areas for Motorhomes around. I call them “Motorhome friendly Parking” places! …. with a great Cafe and Markets as well 🙂
The Packhouse Cafe and Bakery
I parked right next to a Grader at the back to the carpark, a lovely spot.
The Parking !
We wandered around enjoying talking to some of the stall holders. A very friendly place 🙂
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The NZMCA park at Kerikeri
The NZMCA park at Kerikeri
The NZMCA park at Kerikeri
The Packhouse Cafe and Bakery
The Packhouse Cafe and Bakery
The Packhouse Markets
Hats at the Packhouse Markets
The Parking !
I bought a dress for my 2-month-old Granddaughter with advice from Fiona 🙂
The Packhouse MarketsThe Packhouse Markets
We worked our way through the huge building towards the cafe with the bakery attached where they make the most amazing breads and pies. There is also an attached Butcher and Delicatessen that had everything including the amazing local Cheese from the Mahoe Cheese factory.
The Packhouse Cafe and BakeryThe Packhouse Cafe and Bakery
As the day went on, the wind picked up and the rain came down as forecasted so we decided to head for home. We had a fantastic weekend in the Bay… back next year 🙂
Fiona and I came to one of the first of these about 9 years ago, not long after we first got our Motorhome. It was held at the Falls Camping ground which was then owned by Jan Molloy and partner who along with others helped get the festival under way. I remember the band that was there then was Kantuta along with some others.
Jan and her partner later sold that and set up the Bay of Islands Campervan Park which they still own.
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Bay of Island Campervan Park
This year I called Jan who and she was able to squeeze us in for a couple of nights. We’ve been here before, and it is so handy. They’ve had quite a bit of rain this year so the parks were a bit on the damp side so we had to be mindful of parking so we could get out easily.
Rafe in his spot with the Olive Trees
It is such a great location as you can walk pretty much everywhere and there was a Coach doing a regular circuit of the venues so you could see all the bands playing.
Looking bay to Waitangi
We arrived half through the Friday on a lovely fine day with the odd shower and settled in. There is a Countdown supermarket right opposite, so Fiona went over to get some last-minute provisions.
Paihia
The next day, we were up early and walked to Jazz HQ which was about a 25-minute walk at the Scenic hotel in Paihia. On the way along the waterfront, we passed a band playing on the footpath outside the shops with several people dancing and getting into the swing of the festival.
The street band
After getting our day ticket at the Hotel, we sat down to enjoy some of the music by a really good Napier Blues band called DejaBlue. Fantastic sound and we were able to get a really nice Seafood Chowder for lunch. They were followed by The Nairobi Trio who were really entertaining and again, some great sounds.
Here are some more Images from the Festival
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The Street Band on the way
Nairobi Trio
Nairobi Trio
Nairobi Trio
Courtnay and the Unholy Reverie
Courtnay and the Unholy Reverie
Walking towards Paihia
Looking out twards Russell
It was early afternoon then when we decided to head to the Paihia Club where we heard a couple of bands, one of them from Taranaki who were really good. Courtnay and the Unholy Reverie!!….
DejaBlueNairobi Trio
They played a Led Zeppelin song and several of their own. Fantastic sound washed down by a G&T and the acoustics there were good too.
Courtnay and the Unholy ReverieCourtnay and the Unholy Reverie
After a couple of hours, we wandered on to the Paihia Sports bar and then caught the coach to the Twin Pines Manor at Haruru Falls, where we saw another good band, Herbie and the Heartbreakers!
Twin Pines ManorCourtnay and the Unholy Reverie
About 6pm the bus arrived, and we decided to call it quits and head back to the Campground while the bus was there.
Courtnay and the Unholy Reverie
A great fun day out and lucky with the weather being able to walk to almost everywhere.
There is something different about Raglan. It has an atmosphere all of its own and sitting on the balcony of the Pub in the main street with a glass of wine, even though it was freezing, I was just enjoying soaking it up. 🙂
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The Pub
We left Auckland well after everyone else on the Saturday and arrived in Whatawata just in time for lunch. As I parked Rafe out of the street, I was just getting out of the truck when I met Hilary and Lyn who we last saw at a Dethleffs do at Miranda. They live just around the corner from the Cafe and it was nice to see them again.
After a cup of tea with them and some nibbles, we set off towards Raglan.
Due to the economic downturn and a cold winter, Raglan have been doing a pay for two nights, get a third night for free so we jumped into that with both feet 🙂
The Three Dethleffs, Us, The Grand Alpa and the Pulse.
Arriving in Raglan, we found we were parked right next to one of the biggest Dethleffs on the market and the newest, one of the XLI Grand Alpas with the rear Lounge. Our Globe 4 being one of the oldest Dethleffs in NZ, it was a bit of the old with the young 🙂 There was also a Dethleffs Pulse on the other side. 🙂
That afternoon, we decided to head into the town to check things out.
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Action in the street
Mt view of the world from the pub balcony 🙂
A neat second hand shop on the way to the wharf.
The wharf with the Silos you can stay in.
Boats comng back in
Looking towards the Campground from the walkway from town.
Walkers on the beach
After lunch, Fiona had a look around the shops and I went and had a glass of Chardonnay on the balcony overlooking the street and watched the world go by.
Looking out from a Restaurant we had Lunch towards the Sea.
The next day we had lunch at a Restaurant overlooking the water and then walked around to the wharf. There is a neat fish and chip shop there along with a Leatherworks, a Pottery Gallery which we’ve bought some things from before and are very good.
Walking towards the wharf. The Silos peering over the top.The wharf with the Silos you can stay in.
The Museum is well setup there and has a souvenir shop inside and it is well worth a visit. Lots of interesting images of how Raglan used to be.
The beach behind the campground.Lovely on the beach despite the lack of sunshine.
A fantastic three days in a neat spot. The weather closed in a bit on the last day so my trip to the beach looking for some images of blue sky didn’t quite pan out.
Sun going down.
It was very pleasant down there sitting on a log for half an hour or so watching the sun go down.
We left Auckland late on the Saturday morning on the way to our son, Alex’s new house in Mangere Bridge and it’s looking great. It’s really nice to see him in his own house and he is really chuffed with it.
After an hour or so, we thought we’d better hit the trail towards Kaiaua to avoid the worst of the motorway Kings Birthday traffic and cut across to Manukau and went out the back way through Clevedon. We celebrated with a coffee stop in a Clevedon Cafe!
The Kaiaua NZMCA park from up the hill.By the creek
An hour or so later we were rolling into the Kaiaua NZMCA park and there was plenty of room left. It’s a seriously nice part of the world here with the water just outside the gate and plenty of places to walk and a trail which runs from here all the way to Matamata via Thames if you’re really keen 🙂
We started off by visiting the pub and having a G&T out in the Garden Bar.
The Garden Bar
It was a fairly drab old day with the clouds hanging over us and the odd peep of sunshine coming through but not enough to seriously do any meaningful charging, so I was expecting to see it how the two new Lithium Phosphate, 150AH batteries went. They do have a Bluetooth arrangement where they connect to an app on the phone and show you what’s happening.
At 4:30pm, the Sail GP was on, so the TV was on through the Mi Box which we’ve recently installed. (better quality picture than the dome) This would bring a bit of a drain but with the sun popping in and out on the panels, we really didn’t use much.
By the time the Racing was over it was dark, and we headed over to the Fish and Chip shop for Fish and Chips. Really nice Fish too.
Back with Rafe, we watched a Netflix movie through the Mi Box again and at the end of the night when I switched everything off, we’d only used 20 Amp hours. Unbelievable. Somehow on the AGM’s we would have used heaps more than this and the voltage would have dropped too. The Batteries were showing 13 volts at the end of the night!!
My birthday was only a few days before this so lunch was a plate of Mussels with a G&T each at the Pub!
After lunch, we walked down to the pink dairy and checked out all the Motorhomes parked in the free parking by the beach. Fiona wandered over and bought Ice creams, so we sat there and soaked in the ambience 🙂 A lovely spot.
The Pink Dairy
We went back to Rafe to watch the Sail GP second day and then it was back to the Pub for a birthday dinner, and it was stunning. I had a Rack of Lamb which was melt in your mouth…!!
The Lamb.. yum
That night we didn’t really use a lot of power, early to bed so only the Router, the TV until about 9pm, the odd flash of the water pump during loo flushes and making cups of tea and a few LED lights but we did get a few peeps of sunshine during the day … about 8 Amp hours.
The next morning, I checked on the batteries and we were 20 AH down for both days!! Amazing.
The Bluetooth App showing the two batteries on the last morning before we left.
For all the people I discussed this with beforehand who all said, “It will change your life” and take the stress out of not being plugged in and the ability to use power without thinking about it. They’re all right. It’s amazing and I wish I’d done it earlier.
Enjoying the coast
By the time we got back to Devonport we were fully charged off the alternator, so the system works! A great weekend too.
We arrived in Rotorua early in the afternoon after getting a puncture in Fiona’s bike repaired in downtown Rotorua. It turned out that the Tube had completely split inside without any outside intervention. One of those things 🙂
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After checking in slightly later than planned, at the Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park where we were all booked in, many of the team were already there and enjoying catching up with others. There was a great circle of chairs already forming outside Greg and Shona’s Advantage, just across where we were parked and as the afternoon went on the circle got bigger and bigger 🙂
Friday Happy hour
The Holiday Park reckon there were more than 25 Motorhomes in our group that had booked. I could only count 23 so to simplify things we called it more than 25 🙂
Click on the Gallery below to see some of the Motorhomes
Spot the XLI
Fiona and I checked in with a few people and then went for a swim which was literally only meters away from where we were parked which was really handy.
After the mandatory 4pm happy hour where we all came together, it was time for tea. We joined in with the crew at Greg and Shona’s spot. Great fun and nice to see everyone again.
Setting off for the Bike ride
The next day at 10am, we were all setup outside ready for the bike rides. We split the group into two. Steve took the more experienced, fitter riders on the Loop which was 42k’s or thereabouts and included the blue and green lakes. A decent ride.
Steve’s images from the Loop ride to the blue and green lakes. 42k’sSteve’s image from the loop ride. An event beside one of the lakes.Fiona returning on the easier bike ride.
Thanks heaps to both Steve Miller and Neal Butt for making sure we all got there and back and safely.
Neal took the other group up a pathway that he knew along the Taupo Road which was great nice and safe and an easy non tree stump and tree root route with a Cafe stop afterwards. We got back after 15k’s odd feeling like we had had some exercise 🙂 It was time for a swim!
Click on the Gallery below for some casual expressions 🙂
On time for the second Happy Hour 🙂
Happy hour on the Saturday
It was time for the 4pm happy hour and the Team photo event and it was a full turn out. Great to see everyone and this carried on for the potluck dinner at a nicely placed set of covered tables outside the kitchen. Thanks to Judy and some others who stepped in to give the table tops a bit of a clean which they needed.
The Happy Team – Click on the photo to enlarge.
The food prepared was sensational and we even had some desert too. The weather held out and we had a great night finished off with another swim in the hot pool 🙂
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The meal !
Steve and Rene having a natter… There must have been some bumps on the bike ride 🙂
Tea time
Fiona and I thought we’d stay on for another night to relax and after saying goodbye to everyone as everyone departed, we jumped on the bikes and rode into downtown Rotorua.
After stopping at a couple of shops, we headed down to a Cafe we’ve been to before down by the waterfront called Lime. After a great lunch and an Ice Cream later by Eat St, we slowly headed back to the Campground.
A fantastic weekend seeing everyone. There were quite a few people looking at other’s Motorhomes and swapping notes and all I could see was lots of smiles.
Enjoying the Hot Pools
The next Event is at Waipu Cove Campground on the 18th and 19thOctober. A big Campground right beside an amazing beach. Looking forward to seeing everyone there.
Rafe’s tracker map to Rotorua Holiday Park – Armada GPS
With the next Dethleffs get together coming up this weekend in Rotorua, Fiona and I headed off to one of our favourite wee towns, Cambridge. Staying at the Raceway on the edge of town, this was where we had last year’s Dethleffs do under and around a big tree.
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The Greyhounds under the tree’s where the Dethleffs do was.Great parking behind the grandstand
Getting down there with the Easter traffic was painful as we left it a bit late, and it took hours.
Looking out from the stand
This year, we left the bikes behind which was a mistake in hindsight, but we ended up having several big walks into and around town.
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The pub overlooking the town.
The Main street
Nice old Buildings
Cambridge Town Hall
There’s a big Cafe in the middle of town called the Deli which makes amazing coffee and also has some nice options for lunch. Being Easter, most of the shops were shut but it was still nice looking around.
Fantastic Cafe
The Racecourse also has a Bar and Restaurant called the Clubroom, which was open only on the Saturday night, so we headed there for a G&T. But there is an amazing Hamburger place underneath the Clubrooms all painted orange so you can’t miss it. Fantastic burgers and with the park being pretty full of NZMCA Caravans and Motorhomes, there were plenty of customers for them.
Cambridge Raceway
A nice weekend away and great parking in a nice place.
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.
We both enjoyed a wander through some of the charming antique stores. Fiona, of course, took a longer and more thorough look around while I kept my browsing short and sweet. After about an hour of soaking in the nostalgic atmosphere, we decided it was time to move on.
The drive to Kaiaua was pleasant, and upon arriving at the NZMCA park, we were relieved to find plenty of room. After settling in and opening the vents to let some air circulate through the truck, we couldn’t resist heading straight over to the pub next door.
The beer garden was the perfect spot on such a beautiful day. With a G&T in hand, we soaked up the relaxed atmosphere, enjoying the live music and the warm sunshine. Given my fair European complexion, the shade quickly became my best friend as we unwound in the early evening.
After a bit of a break back in the truck, accompanied by a much-needed cuppa, we made our way back to the pub for dinner. The meal was fantastic, the perfect way to end our day and, indeed, our holiday.
As we savored the evening, reflecting on our trip, it was clear that this was a fitting finale to a wonderful adventure. The combination of good food, great company, and superb weather made for an unforgettable last day.
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