Having helped park a couple of these Rallies, they are a BIG job for the volunteers who put these together and with this one, Neal and his parking team kept the bar high with their direction and parking skills.
Click on an Image to Enlarge
Chief parker Neal with his 3m stick
This year like last year, the parking costs were covered by Covi organisers along with a free bus service which ran in a cycle every half an hour or so… it worked beautifully. There was also a storage area at the Show where you could securely store any goodies purchased and pick them up on the way back on the bus… a great idea.
Plenty of white Motorhomes
I’m not sure how many people were at the Rally but a general estimate I would say it was at least 500 vehicles on the first day all beautifully parked by Neal and his team from the Waikato group with Counties pitching in too as a joint parking effort.. well done guys.
My little place in the world
The best part for me at these events was catching up with friends I haven’t seen for a while who have come for the show.
A great effort and well done to all those Volunteers.
Rafe’s Tracker map to the show Motorhome parking – Armada GPS
I always look forward to these mainly for the new gadgets which this year, was the Drones which you can take away and use them for fishing.
Click on any Image to enlarge it
Drones that can fish!
The Star of the show for me though was ACM’s Freedom Platinum Elite. The one in the show is customised for wheelchair access but it is HUGE inside. ACM is owned by a Boatbuilder Chris and the Elite just reeks of a quality build everywhere you look.
Click on the Galley below for a look at the Platinum Elite
Looking forward in the Kitchen lounge in the ACM Platinum
Looking back in the ACM Platinum
The Bathroom in the PACM Platinum
The outside of the ACM Platinum
The ACM Platinum
The Vivaldi made by Tabbert was the first one of these I’ve seen new having seen one in Tokoroa at the Scottish Games event. Beautifully appointed and well made and really popular in Europe.
Kitchen Dining area in the Vivaldi
Its really nice to see them arriving here.
Click on the Gallery below for the beautiful Vivaldi
Vivaldi Exterior
Looking down the hall to the Bedroom in the Vivaldi
Vivaldi Bedroom
Kitchen Dining area in the Vivaldi
Dining in the Vivaldi
Recently I helped some friends buy a Burstner Lyseo and it was my first opportunity to see one up close if you like.
The Burstner Lyseo
They have an amazing 850kg payload! Some of its competitors in its class, only have half that, and with the Police just getting ready with their in road weigh stations, I’m sure it’ll be a big seller.
Click on the Gallery below to see the Lyseo
The Burstner Lyseo
Lyseo Galley
Looking forward in the Lyseo
Lyseo Bedroom
The Lyseo Lounge area
The Burstner stand
It was great to see some of the travel destinations like Awakeri Rail there and also the Top 10 Holiday park team.
A happy man from the Top 10 organisation.Awakeri Rail Trail
I was there on Friday and it was busy from 10am on and a couple of the dealers I spoke to seemed pretty happy with the way things were going.
Click on the Gallery below for Show Images
No 1 NZMCA
The happy team at the NZMCA stand
RV Super Centre
RV Super centres smaller vans
Niessman and Bichoff
The Autotrail Commanche
Commanche Bedroom
AutoTrail Commance shower
Outside the Autotrail Commanche
Trailite Country
Dethleffs Caravans
Inside a Dethleffs Exclusive Caravan
The Dethleffs Exclusive caravan
Another year another great show.
Plenty of white Motorhomes at Ellerslie Racecourse
Seeing 600 plus Motorhomes and Caravans as your first view coming into the top of Mystery Creek is always a nice experience. And the first person I see at the bottom helping with the parking was Noel who I met at Tokoroa a year ago.
The goings on in the parking area 🙂Rafe in the park
Once I’d parked Rafe, who should come rocking past on his electric bike but Neal who was organising the parking both then and now. He was saying that the team had parked nearly 800 vehicles in Hamilton so far. Given the effect of people getting over lockdowns and everything else, that’s a great turnout and a job well done for the parking team. This was just after lunch on Friday with two days to go!
Great show. Click on the image to enlarge.
They did a great job and everywhere you looked, just about completely surrounding the main Pavilion were Motorhomes and Caravans. A great sight. Nicely done Team Waikato !
The numbers were definitely down with the Coronavirus hanging over us all but despite that, several vendors I spoke to did well.
Click on any Image for HI Res
The Reo
I guess with more room to move, many had time to have a good nosey and spend more time doing what they came for.
NZMCA Stand
I went early on the Saturday morning and my first stop was say hello to the happy crew at the NZMCA stand then from there onto the Zion Motorhomes stand where the new Morelo Palace was on display.
Where to start?
At 9 metres long and 7.5 tons, this is a serious Motorhome. Check out the piccies below.
The Morelo Palace
Click on the Gallery below for bigger images
Palace Kitchen area
Palace Living area
Palace living space
Palace Helm
Bedroom in the Palace
Palace Shower
Palace Bathroom
Palace Garage
Palace Electricals
Zion also have a new Dethleffs XLI Alpa which has a rear lounge with really clever drop down beds above the drivers area which doesn’t feel like a drop down system.
Dethleffs Alpa Kitchen
Just in the next hall was ACM Motorhomes who have a repair facility and manufacture their own Motorhomes too, but have made some really nice bespoke designs for those with special interests or needs.
Click on the Gallery below for bigger images
Frankia
Looking through the Niessman Bichoff area
Dethleffs Alpa drop down sleeping area
Dethleffs Alpa Kitchen
Dethleffs Alpa Rear Lounge
Dethleffs Alpa Exterior
RV Super Centre
Oz tents
ACM Motorhomes
ACM rear with wheelchair lift
ACM Motohome for wheelchairs
ACM Motohome for wheelchairs. Looking out the back
ACM Motohome for wheelchairs. Looking forward
Apollo
One of the Motorhomes they had on display was one that I saw being put together for a handicapped customer and its beautiful. Complete with a wheelchair lift at the back which comes up to a rear bathroom. Very nice and nice to see what I saw in bits all finished and looking so good.
ACM Motohome for wheelchairs
Moving on from here I was amazed to see some of the refinements made to the smaller Caravans.
Chameleon
In order .. the Chameleon Crusader, a little bigger was the Manta Ray by New Age, then there was the Rockwood with slide outs and a bunk room which was interesting.
The Manta Ray Kitchen area
The 5m long Bailey Discovery is interesting too.. Perfect for two people and can be towed with a small vehicle.
Bailey living area. Nice big vent.
Jayco have got an interesting small Caravan which is called the Crosstrak Hybrid. Again well suited for two and an easy tow for a smaller SUV, it is just under 5 metres.
The Jayco Crosstrak
An interesting show which I finished by checking out the Lilliputs and watching an auction of a Benimar. I suspect someone got a bit of a bargain at 136k 🙂
Click on the Gallery for bigger images and a slideshow
Chameleon Exterior
Chameleon
Chameleon inisde
Chameleon Inside
Chameleon Inside
Chameleon Exterior
The Rockwood Stand
Inside a Rockwood
Rockwood – Bathroom
Rockwood the bunkroom
Inside the Rockwood.. huge !
Inside the Rockwood.. huge !
Outside of the Rockwood
Kea Motorhomes
The Manta Ray outside
The Manta Ray bedroom
The Manta Ray living area
The Manta Ray Living area
The Manta Ray Outside
The wee Bailey
The Bailey
Neat table
Bailey Kitchen
Time for a feed
Lilliputs
Lilliputs
Lilliputs Magic
Burstner
Ci Stand
The Jayco Crosstrak
The Jayco Crosstrak Inside
The Jayco Crosstrak Inside
The Jayco Crosstrak
Jayco stand
A bed anyone?
Looks good
Owners of the RV Travel and Lifestyle Magazine, Robyn and Bruce on their stand.
Yum
Central RV stand
The Auction
I stayed at Ellerslie Racecourse as part of the Rally there which was free this year and was well served by some free buses to the Showgrounds. A great show!
The morning started a bit later with I suspect a few sore heads after the NZ-UK Rugby game and there was lots of chatter about the game. To console myself, I kept telling myself that it is only a game after all… not quite that simple but it helped 🙂
Click on an Image for Hi Res
Roger and Diane’s Fifth Wheeler opposite Rafe
I spent the morning reading, listening to some music and generally just blobbed for a few hours. The weather was amazing with a clear blue sky and as the day went on, it got much warmer after a fairly cold start.
Its Knitting time
Today was a real Music Day with a band called Tuned out Larry, Jenny and Band which was a three piece band from Tokerau. A nice sound. After that, there was the usual 4pm Happy Hour. This was the last one for the event so it was well attended 🙂
Time to dance
I went back to Rafe and had tea but was looking forward to the next band. Over in the main Hall was the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band. A very slick performance by some very talented people!
The crowd enjoying the Hamilton Bluegrass bandThe two originals, Alan and PaulPam with the fantastic Voice
I’ve heard them several times before and although they’ve now got a different line up, the two original 5th formers from Fairfield High school who started the band, Alan and Paul, are still there and sounding as good as ever. Pauls ex wife Colleen was the original Fiddler and sadly she has moved on but one of their sons is the very talented Bass player and their Daughter in Law is the new Fiddle player. The Mandolin player who is also an instrument repairer and Potter from Coromandel and Pam the singer and Guitar player complete the lineup. Pams voice is something else… a great sound and I was there right to the end 🙂
Click on the Gallery below for a Slideshow
Out in the sun
Tuned out Larry and Jenny
Jenny, Larry and the band
Jenny from Tokerau
Afternoon Happy Hour outside
One of the NZMCA’rs playing along with Paul
Appreciative Crowd
A very successful event run by a very switched on team.
This has to be the biggest Motorhome and Caravan rally ever held in NZ. Apparently nearly 1700 vehicles parked over the course of the 4 days.
Click on an Image for Hi Res
Huge
As I came down the hill, all you could see in all directions was lots of white roofs of Motorhomes and Caravans along with a few other colours but mostly white of course!
The early morning walk past Rafe
The volunteer parkers did a fantastic job. I arrived at the bottom of the hill and then realised I didn’t have any cash but with a rustle through Rafe, I eventually found some Washing machine money and had just enough!
Friends, Bruce and Judy’s Globe4 in the crowd.
Early the next morning I went for a walk around the edges and it was just amazing to see so many here. Despite the early hour, there were plenty of people out walking their dogs and enjoying the sunshine.
People leaving early
Breakfast Time
From the top of the hill in the fog
On the road
A great job done by the organisers and fantastic job by the volunteers. Thanks Guys.
Our aim after leaving Lowburn was to stay at Fairlie after getting a freezer full of one of the best pies in the South Island. They’re known as “Fairlie good pies” around the south but I reckon they’re Fairlie Amazing pies. Pork Belly with crackling, Chicken and Salmon and some other amazing options.
Click on an Image for Hi Res
Taken under a light in the Rafe – Pork Belly with the Crackling all ready eaten 🙂
After stopping at Lake Pukaki for lunch we hurtled on to Fairlie.
The place to stay in Fairlie is the Fairlie Holiday Park which is also taking part in the NZMCA’s Camp Saver program.
Nice parking
$20 a night for a powered site with everything else available. There is a dump station, great Toilets and showers in several places and a huge council playground right next door for the little ones.
They also have Dogs on leashes.
Click on the Gallery below for a Slideshow
One of the Motel Units
Motels
Gents washbasins
This motorcamp up until about 6 years ago was part of the Top Ten network but closed. Mary Jane and her partner Dutchie have taken it from there and it looks fantastic.
Kitchen and Laundry
It is also only 5 minutes walk into the main shopping area one way and is next to a lovely huge river on the other side.
Looking through to the playground
Being able to park for the night in sites like this on the Camp Saver program is just fabulous and long may it continue and grow.
As always, a well run and executed Rally by the good folk in the Counties team. Just under 400 vehicles were parked by Saturday afternoon and there were still more coming in.
The big picture
This year the Polo was being played in the centre of the track where the rally is usually set up so the parking was set off to the southern side of the stands beside the track. Very handy to the Pop Up Globe which Fiona and I went and saw on the Saturday afternoon.
Big girls under the trees.
Also handy for a walk to Ellerslie shopping centre for those who wanted takeways.
Sea of white (and blue)
Covi put on their magic buses for easy show access and they seemed to go every few minutes throughout the day.
Either side of the track. The latecomers went into the centre.Off to the show. The Ellerslie event centre in the background.
A great event put on by the experienced Counties NZMCA team.. well done guys.
And that would be the newly restored 1928 Reo Speedwagon, once owned by the founders of the NZMCA, Andy and Gladys Anderson.
Click on an image for Hi Res
4 of the volunteers that could come up with #1, L to R, John, Alan, Brian and Fergus
Once used as passenger and freight bus in Te Karaka, it later went on to be a bus for the Gisborne freezing works.
#1 sporting its new Headlights
Andy Anderson bought the old bus in Gisborne and converted it to his Motorhome and then started the NZMCA as #1 !
Looking forward
Fast forward to June 2016, it was collected from the Eastland Museum of Transport and Technology and taken to a workshop at Hallright Plumbing. It spent the next 2 and a half years here being restored by a small army of 34 volunteers.
Looking back over the Galley
It was completely stripped down and rebuilt bolt by bolt and the result is stunning.
Click on the Gallery below for a Sldeshow
Allan, John, Brian and Fergus in front
Love the mirror
The oven
Dining area
Double Bunks
Comfy seating. Fergus’s nailbox has gone 🙂
The outside loo
The Loo
Seeing it on the NZMCA stand at the 2019 Covi show, it was a joy to behold. The attention to detail from the volunteers is amazing. Ferg Mckenzie along with 3 other volunteers came up to the Covi show to look after and show off their work.
Storage on the back
Well done too to the board for supporting the restoration. A great part of the associations history.
This was my first trip to the brand new Dargaville NZMCA park and its a cracker.
Click on an Image for Hi Res
Close to the water
It is right on the rivers edge with another smaller river on a side boundary and only a few minutes walk to the centre of town.
This was one of my first times of the new check in system and paying on the NZMCA App and it was easy. What a great system.
There are two old heritage buildings on the site with a couple of old jettys on the side of the river.
Click on the Gallery below for a slideshow
The main bridge in
Looking along the Wairoa River
Looing out from the jetty to the Wairoa River
Nice old Buildings
The park
After a wander around watching the river water flow from all the rain we’d had, it reminded me of when I was a nipper just mooching around the waters edge and sitting on old wharves on a quiet day.
2 minutes walk to the Rotunda and the town
I went for a walk into town over the bridge and what a neat atmosphere. The old band rotunda and some public loos are only a few minutes away and although the brown colour of the Wairoa River isn’t exactly beautiful, there is a real sense of history and a real charm about the place.
All weather and safe
We’re very lucky to have this network of NZMCA parks and once the word gets out, this new one is sure to be popular.
The Netspeed Speedtest here (Old Router)
Download: 7.64 Mbps
Upload: 21.01 Mbps
Ping: 44 ms
This year like last year, the parking costs were covered by Covi organisers along with a free bus service which ran in a cycle every half an hour or so… it worked beautifully. There was also a storage area at the Show where you could securely store any goodies purchased and pick them up on the way back on the bus… a great idea.
The best part for me at these events was catching up with friends I haven’t seen for a while who have come for the show.
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