Tag Archives: NZMCA parks

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

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.

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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
Wairarapa 26

Fun with Friends in Napier

We were sitting at Takapau on our last night there, winding down and thinking about what the next day might bring, when the tablet suddenly whistled into life. A message had come through from our friends Steve and Rosemary, saying they’d enjoyed a nice bike ride in Napier. I was sure they were still in Wellington, so it caught my attention straight away.

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All very orderly at Eriksen.

Knowing we were heading to Napier the following day, I replied to let them know where we were. As it turned out, plans quickly came together and we were set to catch up with them the next day, along with Steve’s sister Helen and brother-in-law Graham. Funny how these things just fall into place.

Steve and Rosemary’s Esprit, Helen and Graham’s Cathargo. A new model they imported into NZ. ….and Rafe.

The next day we headed off through Waipukurau and into the back of Hastings, keeping an eye out for a vineyard to stop at for lunch. Being New Year’s Day, though, most places were closed, so that idea was quickly shelved. Instead, we carried on to Eriksen Park, where we met Helen and Graham and caught up with Steve and Rosemary. It was great to see everyone again, catch up properly, and enjoy a glass of wine together.

The three of us 🙂
LtoR. Rosemary, Steve Fiona standing, Helen and Graham.

As Steve and Rosemary were heading off to Wellington the following day, Fiona and I decided to head into Napier in the van. We had lunch in town and then wandered back along the waterfront. The place was absolutely buzzing, lively, and full of holiday energy.

One of these is a really nice cafe except it was shut.
Downtown Napier where we had lunch.

There was plenty happening along the foreshore, with people everywhere making the most of the sunshine.

A waterwheel I never knew was there !
The view out to Cap Kidnappers in the distance

After a quick stop at a local supermarket to stock up, we headed back to Eriksen Park and settled in for what would be our last night in Hawke’s Bay before heading home.

Time out along the waterfront.

A really nice break away and, as always, far too short

Rafe’s tracker map to Eriksen NZMCA park in Napier – Armada GPS
Wairarapa 26

Over the Hill to Woodville

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With the sun still shining, we were up and out early, heading down to the river to see the wind turbines up close.

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The wind turbines from Ashurst

There are hundreds of them, and with a decent breeze blowing they were really earning their keep. The walk down is a great little trail that winds its way to the water’s edge and, once there, we sat for a while listening to the wind, watching the blades turn, and just soaking it all in.

At the top of the hill looking towards Woodville

Eventually it was time to move on, so we headed back and found the road that climbs over the hill to Woodville, passing right through the turbines. We stopped a couple of times to grab some photos — the scale of them is impressive, and the views from the top of the hill in both directions are well worth the pause. Rolling hills, wide skies, and turbines stretching as far as you can see.

Click on the Gallery below for an enlarged Slideshow

At the top of the hill looking towards Woodville
Amazing Turbines
At Masterton
Downtown Masterton
At the Tui Brewery
Th lake in Queen Elizabeth Park
From the swing bridge.
Deer next to the park.

On the way through we called in at the Tui Brewery, which now welcomes motorhomes overnight as a POP and also has a dump station, always handy to know. We’ve stopped here before, but the place has had a real upgrade. More outdoor tables, a great setup, and the food was absolutely spot on.

Yes .. it was due to rain!

From there we decided to head down towards Masterton. It’s only about 50-odd k’s, making it an easy run for the afternoon and a good excuse to stay at the NZMCA park and have a wander through town.

At the NZMCA park

The park has a really nice layout and almost always has plenty of space. The walk into town follows the river and is a really pleasant stroll, with birds about and the water flowing quietly alongside. The final touch is a neat little swing bridge that drops you right near the centre of town.

The path to Masterton along the river.

By the time we were back it was looking like rain was on the way, so we called it a day, poured a G&T, and settled in to watch a bit of TV.

Fiona on the swing bridge
Children at the park

The next morning, we were up and ready to head into town for a look around. Great minds think alike as we weren’t the only ones doing the same thing.

The shopping area

We headed for a café opposite the supermarket and settled in for a nice cup of coffee each before wandering down the main street to check out the shops.

It’s a good shopping area, though it’s easy to see that times have been a bit tough for some of the retailers. After a decent look around town and a bite to eat, we picked up a few things at the supermarket and headed back to the park to blob out for the afternoon.

Feeding the ducks at the Park on the way back.

A lovely day in Masterton.

Rafe’s tracker map to Masterton- Armada GPS
Wairarapa 26

Heading South for the New Year

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Happy New Year!   It’s 2026 and we’re heading off southwards. We’re winging it a bit this time as the weather isn’t expected to be too flash, and we’re keen to check out some new places along the way.

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At Taupo for lunch on the way down.

We headed off early after Christmas, leaving at 6am to beat the Southern Motorway traffic and it worked perfectly.  The traffic was calm and sedate, the sun was shining, and it felt like we were off to a great start.

Our plan was to head towards Turangi, with the GPS telling us we’d arrive before lunch. We stopped briefly at Tirau for a cuppa and a slice of cake, then about 20 minutes later we were back on the road.

Later in the morning we arrived at the NZMCA park in Turangi. It was only about 25% full, so not busy at all. We settled in and, naturally, it was time for another cup of tea. Out came our trusty old kettle but shock horror, a screw had come off the handle. We both agreed that could get a bit dangerous once it heated up.

The social lane 🙂

Luckily, there was a hardware shop just around the corner. Sure enough, they had what we needed, so kettle crisis averted.

Click on the Gallery below for an enlarged Slideshow

At Taupo for lunch on the way down.
My favourite place to stop for a jumper
The Turbines keepin eye on us.
Somewhere to rest on the way to the river
The walk down to the river
Down by the river

A little rain fell overnight, which cooled the air nicely. In the morning, after our hardware shop visit, we headed off down the Desert Road towards Waiouru, stopping in Taihape for another cuppa and cake. We’ve stopped at the Brown Sugar Cafe a few times over the years and it’s always a good choice. There’s great motorhome parking almost outside, right next to the famous gumboot throwing area.

Lovely spot

After a nice lunch in a busy little café, we continued on towards Ashurst, travelling through Utiku  and coming out near Palmerston North.

From there we headed on to the lovely Ashurst Domain. It’s largely unmanned but very reasonably priced, and power was included, which was a nice treat.

The Turbines opposite

The domain is beautifully laid out under big trees, right next to the river, with the large wind turbines doing their thing on the hills across the water. We were very lucky to have the help of a regular camper next door who showed us where everything was fantastic.

The place was pretty busy, being an in-demand spot, and it’s super handy to everything, only about five minutes from town. All in all, a great place to stay.

Rafe’s tracker map to Ashurst – Armada GPS
Events, NZMCA Rallies, Waikato

2025 Te Aroha Romp – Lots of Images!

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This is one of those events you just don’t want to miss — and it’s easy to see why it sells out in a matter of days! The Te Aroha Romp is always a highlight on the NZMCA calendar, and once again the Waikato crew pulled off an amazing weekend.

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In the NZMCA park

I arrived at the NZMCA park next door on Thursday so I could settle in 🙂   It’s a nice wee park and so close to town too. With the Romp on right next door, the park was really humming. Russell the camp custodian was having a busy day and doing a great job keeping everything running smoothly.

Terry popping out!

Just after backing into my parking spot, I met Terry and Catherine a couple of vehicles along with their recently acquired Trailite. I joined them later for happy hour, a great crew and plenty of laughs.

The next morning, Russell told me the back gate was open, making it easy to drive straight next door to the event parking. After settling Rafe and opening a few vents, I wandered into the Silver Fern Farms Events Centre to check in. I bumped into Des, the OC of the event, who’s been running it since its early days in Tokoroa. He was in good form and ready to roll!

Click on the Gallery below to enlarge – The Parking

The Entrance

The parkers did an incredible job fitting in over 550 motorhomes and caravans, almost all on the Friday. The horseshoe shaped setup around the main rugby field looked fantastic, a real sight to see.

Over 550 Motorhomes and Caravans!  Click to Enlarge!

That night, Coopers Run kicked things off with a great set in the Events Centre. They were excellent, but I was pretty knackered so retired to Rafe for a quiet movie night.

Coopers Run with plenty enjoying dancing to their music.

Saturday morning, the games began! I spent most of it catching up with friends I hadn’t seen for ages, but I did catch the egg-throwing contest, always good fun.

Jean during the Egg catching competition.
The Egg Throwing

Then came the piping in of the Haggis and the whisky ceremony, followed by the pipe bands.

In comes the Haggis

If you’ve got any Scottish blood, it really gets the hairs on your neck standing up, just magic.

Click on the Gallery below to enlarge. – The Haggis

In comes the Haggis

During the afternoon there was a pipe band competition and a  march of the combined Pipes bands in the main paddock. Seriously good sound 🙂

Click on the Gallery below to enlarge. – see the Pipe Bands

Coming in for the competition.
The judging grandstand
Disppaly on in the main ground.
Impressive marching and the sound was awesome.

After happy hour, I wandered back to the Events Centre for the Paul Madsen Band — a 70s hippy-themed night with some amazing costumes. For just three musicians, they really packed a punch, and Paul’s voice was something else.

Click on the Gallery below to enlarge –  The Paul Madsen Band

Michael and Earl
Paul Madsen
The Paul Madsen Trio

Sunday morning, the rugby was on the big screen, plenty of nervous energy in the first half, but the All Blacks got the better of the Irish after the break. The collective sigh of relief was something to behold!

All Blacks v Ireland

Later that afternoon, Lisa Lorrell took the stage, performing songs from Phantom of the Opera and more. A relaxed, musical way to round out the weekend, topped off with another cheerful happy hour where I met some lovely folks from Taranaki.

Lisa Lorrall

Monday morning came far too quickly. After a quick coffee and a stop at the dump station next door, I pointed Rafe north up the Matamata Road and back to Auckland.

Another great Romp done and dusted, huge thanks to all the volunteers and organisers who make this event so special every year. Can’t wait for the next one!

Rafe’s tracker map to Te Aroha Romp and NZMCA park – Armada GPS
Events, NZMCA Rallies, Rallies

Trains and Motorhomes

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The weather was due to brighten up, and with Fiona working for the next few days, it was time to get Rafe off the blocks before the tyres went square!

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There was an NZMCA rally on that weekend at the Glenbrook Model Railway, and I was pretty keen to check it out.

When I was a wee chap, I had my own model railway layout that took up half a room, complete with viaducts, tunnels, and even lights in the buildings, so this was right up my alley.

Nice parking with a bit of sunshine at Kaiaua

After being an NZMCA member for more than 10 years, it was also probably the first rally I’ve been to in the Auckland area…  so, it was definitely overdue!

The tide was out. The Kaiaua NZMCA park

Since the rally didn’t start until Friday, I decided to spend a couple of nights beforehand at the Kaiaua NZMCA park next to the pub. Always a great spot and the meals there are superb.  I spent a sunny afternoon walking along the foreshore, checking out the Pink Dairy up the road, and wandering down to the muddy marina.

Click on the Gallery below to see enlarged images of Kaiaua

Kaiaua waterfront up by the pink Dairy
The bar at the pub.
Lovely spot in the corner

Friday rolled around, and after a quick stop in Pukekohe to top up with water, I set off for Glenbrook.

Parked next to the ride on track which wasn’t working due to a broken part.

I arrived at the Glenbrook Leisure Time Centre and met John, who was hosting the event and busy parking everyone up, and Rob, who had created the venue from scratch.

The Glenbrook Leisure Time Centre
Parked alongside the track

Just as I got settled, a Glenbrook Steam Train thundered past about 10 feet from the motorhomes, what a great sight! Sadly, I was too slow with the camera (not like me to miss that one!).

Checking out Robs huge model Train project.

Rob then gave us a guided tour of the whole model railway setup, and what an amazing place. He’s built everything himself, the buildings, the track, and even a small ride-on train, all beautifully detailed and clearly a labour of love. It’s a fantastic setup and well worth seeing.

Click on the Gallery (Enlarged) below to see who you might know 🙂

As the day went on, more and more motorhomes and caravans rolled in, and by the 4pm happy hour, the place was buzzing. There were raffles, plenty of laughs, and that great friendly rally atmosphere. Later, after dinner, we even had a bingo night, which was a real hoot.

Saturday was all about chatting and catching up with people, some familiar faces from the Dethleffs Owners Group, which was a nice surprise. I was hoping another train might go past, but being off-season, it wasn’t to be.

The weather held up pretty well too, a bit windy but warm, and only a couple of brief showers that barely registered.

All up, it was a fantastic weekend with great company at a fun and fascinating venue. Can’t ask for more than that!

Rafe’s tracker map to the Glenbrook Leisure Time Centre – Armada GPS
Waikato

Under the Mountain

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Cruising into Te Aroha was pretty interesting this time. With the weather bomb having just rolled through, there was water everywhere.

The main shopping area.

I drove down to the area by the river behind town, and the water had completely covered the carpark. Huge parts of the wetlands leading up to the NZMCA park were underwater too. I’ve never seen it like that.

Water everywhere

Later, once I was settled at the NZMCA park, I caught up with my mate Des, who was on duty as the park custodian. He explained that there’s often a delay with the water coming down from the Kaimais into the Waihou River, so they were half expecting it to rise like that. Good local knowledge!

There were a few hardy souls out !

Te Aroha Museum

Des also runs the Te Aroha Town Romp, which used to be the Tokoroa Timbertown Romp, always a great event, and it’s held right next door at Boyd Park.

The last one I went to a couple of years ago!

Even though it was pretty chilly (but sunny), there were still a few motorhomes around. Te Aroha’s just a great spot, no matter the weather.

The pub opposite the Museum

The next morning, I was up early to pack up and hit the road. Next stop,  Karapiro, just a couple of hours away.

Rafe’s tracker map to Te Aroha – Armada GPS

Waikato

Hiding from the Weather Bomb!

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I was on my way to the Shane and Suzanne concert at Karapiro and figured I’d hunker down at the Kaiaua NZMCA park for the night. The rain was forecast and sure enough, it absolutely bucketed down!

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Wet!

It was so loud on the roof I could hardly hear the TV.
And even though the pub next door was open, it was so wet I couldn’t even bring myself to make the dash over. That says it all!

Just a few of us!

The news was full of weather warnings and stories of flooding
around the country, so I was feeling very lucky to be tucked up safe and dry in Kaiaua. It really is a great park, and I kept one eye on the rising river just in case… though there were a few others parked even closer who were probably doing the same.

Click on the Gallery below to Enlarge

A bit brown
Plenty of water
More water than I’ve seen for a while here.

By morning, the sun was out and there were big patches of surface water around, but the worst had passed. I went for a wander down to the boat ramp. Blue skies, sun beating down, and all was right with the world again.

After a quick tidy up, it was time to hit the road and head towards the concert.

Rafe’s tracker map to Kaiaua – Armada GPS

Wairarapa 25

Parked in Parkland at Masterton

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On previous trips to Masterton, I’d always struggled to find decent parking for 8m Rafe anywhere near the main shopping area or even close.  It was a real treat to discover there’s now a new NZMCA park that solves all that!

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Lovely park

This was our first visit to the relatively new Masterton NZMCA Park, and it’s an absolute cracker. There’s a raised walking track built on a bund beside the river that leads to a swing bridge and right into a park that’s basically in the heart of town. It’s an easy 15-minute stroll into central Masterton.

Neighbours at Masterton

The park itself is well set up with a dump station, fresh water, and huge parking bays. It has to be one of the best we’ve stayed at.

The track with the river beside.

The next day, we wandered along the river into the park for a look around. My two-year-old grandson has recently developed a big fascination with trains, and sure enough there was a ride-on, small-scale diesel train doing loops through the gardens. I couldn’t resist grabbing a quick video to send to him. He’ll love it!

The lake around the train.

Looking along the river from the swing bridge.

After that, we explored the local museum, which is actually part of a wool shop complex. Tucked in alongside it is the Fire Museum, which turned out to be a real gem. Some of the displays were created by Peter Jackson’s crew, which added a bit of cinematic magic to the experience.

Click on the Gallery below to see more Images of Masterton

The ride on train
Looking along the river towards the suspension bridge.
Horse drawn Fire Appliance
In the wool display
Shearers in the Wool area.
Masterton

Right next door was a lovely little café, perfect for a relaxed lunch, and then straight next door again was the supermarket, so we stocked up the pantry too. Everything was super convenient.

We both found ourselves wondering whether we should just stay an extra night, but the wine trails of Martinborough and the boutique shops in Greytown were calling… so it was time to keep moving.

Rafe’s tracker map to Masterton – Armada GPS