There was a time a few years ago when some big trees were felled at the Ngongotaha NZMCA park and some of us were a bit worried. The trees came down and the world didn’t end, we got our TV signals back and all was well 🙂
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Down on the lower Terrace
Fiona and I stopped off recently to check the park out and it is looking fantastic.
The New grassed area at the back
Where we all parked on the concrete in the middle, now the primo parking seems to be right at the back on a nice grassy area. The parking in the middle is still there, an addition to the check in shed / which now includes a covered happy hour area too.
Looking out to the lake over the two terraced areas
Up the front by the road are two grassed terraced levels for parking with the view out to Lake Rotorua.
I’m sure thats the same next door neighbour that was here last time 🙂
It would be hard to imagine this park ever getting full it is so big but having been here a few times, its a great place to park and the on site Dump Station is a real bonus.
Well done to those involved in putting this all together.
Having finished with the house pretty much with the landscaping, Laundry and Kitchen bits, it was time to get back in Rafe and head south.
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A primo spot in the corner
With the 32C degree temperatures plus, we figured a beach park would be the name of the game so we picked Waihi Beach NZMCA park.
Its a busy park now and its easy to see why being so handy to the Beach and easy rides to cafe’s. There’s even a nice Cafe right next door.
Look at those plants go!
Having done some piccies of the opening, I was really pleased to see how the plants had grown and how established it all looks. Its nice too to see the 3 metre parking marks. I reckon that makes it much easier to line yourself up keep everyone a resonable distance apart.
Nice planting and they’re off
When we first arrived there was a good westerley breeze blowing across the park so the sensible place to park was on the upwind side of the park and with the 30 plus degree temporatures, it was nice to have the breeze blowing through Rafe to keep us cool.
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Great sign
Hot Hot hot!
Look at those plants go!
Catching the breeze
Nice Beach
On the way back from Bowentown
The Bike trail heading back to the park
We spent the first afternoon down in the township being only a 10 minute bike ride away and then headed down the bike trail down to Bowentown about 7ks’ south. Its a great ride and although we didn’t go right down to Anzac Bay its a great run.
The Bike trail heading back to the park
The next day we walked down to the beach. A nice spot to stop over and good to see the park is so popular.
This has to be one of the nicer places to park a Motorhome and it is the NZMCA’s park in Whitianga.
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Great Motorhome parking
After arriving around lunch time, we set off on the bikes to check out the town and eventually stopped in a cafe in town for lunch. After that, we biked around the waterfront to check out the Marina and a general nosey around.
Plenty of room
I was expecting it to be chocker block but it was just pleasant with smiles in the sunshine.
We headed back to the camp to meet our neighbours Andrew and Annette and see their very new Autotrail Scout Motorhome. Interesting layout and bags of room too. It turns out that Andrew was at the same primary school with Fiona in Waiouru when they were in the primers.. small world 🙂
paddleboarding
A nice night there and in the morning all the locals were in the canal, swimming, radio controlled yachts, paddle boarding.. a great place.
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Boats and water
A big house opposite
Our little spot
Kids jumping off the bridge
boating
biking
paddleboarding
Andrew was telling me that the site is apparently going to be a future Hotel.. lovely spot!
Fiona wanted to bike up to Hyde from the Rock and Pillar so after leaving Middlemarch, we stopped at the Rock and Pillar area where we’d biked to the day before and got her ready.
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Fiona arriving at Hyde
The plan was she was going to bike up to Hyde and I would meet her there in Rafe and then we’d go onto Ranfurly for the night for the next part of the trail.
Waiting for Fiona at Hyde
She made it to Hyde in quite good time and decided she wanted to ride further up the trail so I stopped at Daisyside where the trail ran right alongside the road and there was an easy carpark for Rafe and we put her bike on and off we went to Ranfurly.
Off to daisyfields
There was a Tunnel and a Viaduct and the complaint was the light didn’t work. Murphys law, the wires had come unplugged for the headlight just in time for the Tunnel so after plugging them back in, we were all good again.
Happy Hour in the corner at the NZMCA Park Ranfurly
We arrived in Ranfurly just in time for late lunch at the 4 square cafe and left with a bottle of wine for an afternoon in the blazing sun at the NZMCA park.
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The disaster was 1.5k’s North of this mark
The Hyde Railway Disaster Memorial
The Hyde Pub
Off to daisyfields
Nearly at Waipiata
The next morning, we got the bikes ready and both set off towards Waipiata.
On the way in the fog to Waipiata
Leaving Ranfurly in the fog, it was cold and the air on your hands on the trail was bitter.. I thought then, we should have thought about gloves but too late. The sun was starting to come out and more sun was appearing across the trail the further we went on.
The Waipiata Pub
By the time we got to Waipiata, the pub open sign was out and it was time for a Latte and time to warm up. We met some really nice people who were there as well with cups of Coffee warming up as well who were from Epsom and Greenlane. They were doing the whole trail over 5 days. They were heading in the same direction as us so after a chat, we all set off.
We followed them as far as Kokonga which was another 12 k’s or so and then turned around to head back to Ranfurly. Several bridges and some nice scenes..
The Ranfurly NZMCA park
Every bit of this trail is quite different and has a different look. A great day. It was nice to get back to the NZMCA park, meet our neighbours and enjoy a drink in the Ranfurly sunshine.
The Netspeed Speedtest
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And it is in Peski’s at Geraldine which is also one of THE best parking spots.
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The Top level
We’ve stayed here several times and it just like a comfy old chair! Sue and David .. and Tui keep the place looking immaculate and the happy hours are legendary 😃
We popped in pretty much unannounced and they were chocker but Sue managed to squeeze us in next to their Garage.
The shadow is creeping over
The Happy Hour tree has had a big haircut and with the sun dropping earlier, it was a case of where the sun was for our late afternoon catchup.
We met a whole lot of people from Christchurch who were here together and they were good fun.
The Old Happy Hour Tree with a HUGE haircut
We rode into Geraldine on the new Electric bikes which was good fun. Its about 7 k’s out of Geraldine but thats about 10 minutes at 30k’s on an Electric Bike 🙂 I like Geraldine and I’ve said to various members of our family that I might just go and buy a house here 🙂 .. all attempts end up with “the look”!..
I checked out the track behind down to the river. The garden seat has washed away a few times in various weather events but David has managed to reset it again.
Peskis is $15 a night with power. There is a washing machine, a shower and a cassette only dump station which are available each for $2.
Chocker Block
A fantastic spot and they’re just the best hosts. A must stay spot when you’re next in the area.
The Netspeed Speedtest
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Ping : 51 ms
After checking in at the Marton NZMCA parking area, I went for a wander around with the camera.
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Great Parking
Marton is probably the only NZMCA park with Loos and a shower which is nice and the check in room is huge and there is plenty of room to relax if there is bad weather and you want a break from your Motorhome.
Down in the corner
We last stayed here with friends Chris and Gary a couple of years ago but the improvements just keep coming.
The parks are now all nicely marked with plenty of nicely planted areas to enjoy.
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Inside the check in area
Wide open spaces
Walking the dogs in the park next door
Right next door to this park is one of Marton’s big reserves with a Monument to our fallen heroes and a rugby field next door. The gardens around are lovely with a nice grove of trees filtering the light as you enter the park.
Nice light next door
The crosses for our fallen soldiers were all in place and there were some amazing metallic Poppies around the trees and on the banks, just as a finishing touch.
Guarded by the Magpie
A great setup and with Fiona and I both coming from huge Army families, it was really nice to see the town was so well setup for Anzac Day.
As it was clear early on that the space at the Taradale Club wasn’t going to meet the huge demand for the Phil Collins concert, the local organisers of the NZMCA arranged to lease a paddock opposite the Tarade Club for NZMCA parking.
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Lots of NZMCAr’s
One of the organisers Tony was telling me that at their peak, they had nearly 300 Motohomes and Caravans there and in true NZMCA Rally style, they had everyone parking beautifully.
Organiser Tony
Having the Club over the road with its bar and the air conditioning for the 30 plus degree heat, and the generous meal deals didn’t go unnoticed by the folks over the road either.
Tony also was telling me that their next gig was the Art Deco parking and I’m sure they’ll also be involved in the AGM at Gisborne next month too. .. Busy times !
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A few gaps the next day
Its great when great minds come together for a great mutual outcome. A very plesant couple of days with friendly easy parking.
After leaving New Plymouth, we stopped in Stratford Countdown for some Milk and a few essentials and after breakfast and a look around, cruised on to the famous Tawhiti Museum.
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The Handsome Cab man
Started by a local very clever Artist, Nigel Ogle with his wife Teresa, they built this up using local friends and aquaintances to make their lifesized models faces and they look amazing. I love the expressions too. In 1975, they bought the old Cheese factory where Nigel worked as a boy and this was the start of the Museum.
Looks like some I know 🙂
It is split into three Museums being the local history, the Traders and Whalers and the Bush railway.
The Accountant
Fiona and I elected to check out the Local History which took several hours. This could easily take the whole day if you elected to do all three.
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The Motorhome Parking
Being helped down
Sharpening
At the shop
The Accountant
The Butcher
A sing song
Oops priceless expressions
Outside
In the tractor and farm museum area
Old Military trucks
Our park
That amazing Mountain
The parking opposite is fantastic with plenty of room for Motorhome parking with separate parking for the cars on the sides.
Great Parking
There is also a well stocked Cafe on site with great Coffee too. A neat spot.
Lovely spot
We’ve decided already we will have to revisit and check out the other bits we missed but an awesome display that really is a must see.
Muller park
We went from here to the Muller NZMCA park in Hawera where we recognised several other Motorhomers who were parked next to us at the Museum! Isn’t it funny how great minds think alike 🙂
Rafe’s Track to Tawhiti Museum and onto Muller Park. The Museum is the Green Dot on the right!
As we drove Rafe down from Awakino, I was quietly hoping that we would be able to squeeze in to the new NZMCA park in Bell Block, just outside New Plymouth.
A panorama from the top
I needn’t have worried as when we arrived there were only about 4 vehicles there and as the day went on, more popped in.
One of the best Dump stations I’ve seen
Merle and Alan
Some four legged neighbours
Its a HUGE park and really nicely set out with the 3 metre spacers in the ground so no room for arguments. There is one of the best Double sided Dump Stations there with Fresh water dotted all around the outside perimeter of the park. With nicely smoothed out Gravel all over the park, there is no worries if the heavens open up. It just couldn’t get any better.
The view from the top
We rode into the City via the Coastal Walkway and it is a 20k round trip and was easy on our Huff’n’Puff bikes!!
Checking out the seatMt Egmont at Dusk
Another nice spot and the seat on the top of the bank is a nice touch too 🙂
The Netspeed Speedtest
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As we pulled in to this newish NZMCA park, we could see why some would be confused and miss it. It has an really interesting entrance which curls around to the left and down a hill by the entrance to the Otorohanga College but it is pretty clearly marked.
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The Entrance to the park
We arrived mid afternoon just before one of the 4 local Park Custodians Rob popped in to check all was ship shape. A nice guy and he gave us some good information of the park and where everything was.
Nice and Shady
The neighbours are interesting.. all cows but there are quite a few of them and the location right by the river is lovely. It seems that Otorohanga has had some issues over the years with flooding and there have been some big stop banks built but this area seems to be ok.
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Happy Days
Rob, one of the 4 custodians
Meeting the neighbours
There were quite a few Motorhomes and a couple of Caravans but plenty of room for more.
A peep of the river behind
The sun was shining, there was a nice breeze.. another top spot to stay and only 800 metres into the shops. (15 minutes on a bike!)
The Netspeed Speedtest
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Upload: 10.03mbs
Ping: 55ms
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.
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