One of the first places we ever took our motorhome, about ten years ago now was Leigh.
Plenty of room.
Back then, we were still very new to motor homing, so the plan was to head somewhere not too far from home… just in case we’d forgotten something or if anything went wrong. Of course, nothing did! Instead, we ended up discovering a fantastic little village overlooking the sea.
Down at the wharfLooking out over the water from the wharf.
A few years later I came back while Fiona was working to see the village light itself up for their annual light-up event. It made for some great images; you can see those here.
The park before the wee storm with the conference centre and Motel units also part of the campground behind.Entrance to the Conference-Wedding centre.
Last weekend was another one of those “unsupervised” trips while Fiona was at work. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous on the first day with hail, thunder, and strong winds in the forecast. The weather did arrive, but it was nothing to lose any sleep over.
The Library
Once the sun reappeared, I headed off for a wander through town and down to the wharf, only about a 10-minute walk. It really is a magic little place.
Scary driveway !
The Fish and Chip shop near the Camp.
Lots of colour
Really nice cabins too for friends without Motorhomes.
While I was out, I met the owner of Leigh Central who introduced himself and had a good yarn. A really friendly chap, and he mentioned there are some big improvements planned for the future.
Looking up the main street of Leigh
The campground itself is fantastic, close to everything, quiet, and super relaxed. On my last night, I tried the fish and chip shop right next door to the camp… delicious and very reasonably priced.
Character buildings.
And of course, one of the best things about Leigh: it’s so handy to Auckland. Only about 60-odd kilometres from Devonport, so it’s an easy and super convenient weekend getaway.
Another great stay in a favourite little settlement by the sea.?
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.
Click on any Image to Enlarge
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
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.
I was on a bit of a mission. I needed to get some leaky taps replaced out at Zion Motorhomes, and I had to be in Pokeno by 8am on a Tuesday. Anyone who knows me knows… I’m not a morning person! ?
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The lake next to the Club
Solution? I’d been wanting to check out the Waiuku Cossie Club’s motorhome parking and explore the township properly, so this was the perfect excuse.
Lovely outlook
I left Devonport around lunchtime on Monday and cruised down the Southern Motorway. Traffic was light, and I found myself in Waiuku early in the afternoon.
Parked next to the Wizard
On the edge of the carpark, in his motorhome, was my neighbour Wizard, doing a few running repairs on his newish Roller Team. He’s a full-timer and a real character.
The Waiuku Club
The setup here is great. There are three blocks of power boards with around eight sockets each. One quirk: when you pay your $25 with power, you also leave a deposit for a key to the power boards so you can switch your socket on.
The Bridge to Waiuku
After I’d paid, I found a spot near Wizard. He was plugged into a board nearby and kindly used his key to power up a socket for me, a great neighbour to have!
Click on the Gallery below for a Slideshow of Waiuku
Lovely Parking
The Historic Church in town
Downtown Waiuku
The Kentish Hotel
The park opoosite the Kentish Hotel looking out towards Glenbrook Steel Mill.
History everywhere
Loveley outlook
I’d driven through Waiuku quite a few times before, but only stopped briefly, so it was nice to have time for a proper wander. There’s a real charm to the place with plenty of older houses being lovingly restored and a tidy, vibrant main street.
The club’s motorhome park is tucked beside a lake, with a walk bridge that takes you straight into town in about 10 minutes. It’s a lovely, quiet spot. If you’re a member of the Clubs NZ network, you can also enjoy meals and drinks at the club, another bonus.
The park opposite the Kentish Hotel looking out towards Glenbrook Steel Mill.
All up, a great place to park up, unwind, and enjoy a charming little town.
There are only a few places in New Zealand where boats are launched by bulldozers, and Ngawi is probably the most iconic. About half an hour south of Martinborough, this quirky fishing village is an absolute must-see if you’ve never been.
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Looking along the Beach
Before we left Martinborough, I tried several times to contact the local campground in Ngawi but never got a reply. As it turned out, the weather had shifted and with strong westerlies predicted, maybe it was for the best, it’s quite an exposed spot. Still, we decided to take a scenic detour on our way back to Greytown to check it out.
Looking down on the beachKids on the beach
The drive south from Martinborough is beautiful. As we cruised along the coast towards Ngawi, we passed through a string of charming, slightly weathered coastal settlements. The kind of places that made me think: “This is Old NZ.”
Easy retrieval. the whole process took minutes.Looking along the Beach
Eventually, we rolled into Ngawi, and what a place it is! Picture a circular gravel beach, ringed with bulldozers lined up like soldiers, each paired with a massive fishing boat on a giant trailer with a huge drawbar. No ramps needed here, just clever Kiwi engineering making the most of what’s available.
Our grassy spot looking back towards WellingtonBehind our grassy spot
We found a spot to park up right on the beach in one of the grassy freedom camping areas, with views across to Wellington. Just around the corner, tucked in behind some trees, was a trailer café selling the freshest fish and chips, melt-in-your-mouth stuff! They were proud of their food, and rightly so, it was simply the best.
Ngawi Local shop opposite our park.Amazing Baches
We sat on a bench beside Rafe, soaking up the view and enjoying lunch with a cup of coffee from the van. Pure bliss.
Afterwards, we took a wander past the bulldozers and down along the windswept beach. Such an incredible, rugged spot, unique and unforgettable.
We thought we’d carry on to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse, but a sign a few k’s down the road warned that it wasn’t suitable for long vehicles. With Rafe stretching over 8 metres (plus the bikes on the back), we decided to play it safe and turn around, heading back through Ngawi and north to Greytown.
Looking out towards Wellington
As we made our way up the coast, the weather started to close in from the west, there were clouds building, the light shifting but we’d had the best of it.
One of the Balloons sailing off above Greytown
Back at Greytown Campground, we caught up with Ken again and parked up. As we opened the vents and settled down for a well-earned G&T, we heard a loud whoosh.
Rising balloon
Looking up, we saw a hot air balloon rising up from the domain next door, the burners roaring as it lifted just above the trees, probably no more than 50 metres away. Then another, and another, followed, each one floating eastward over Greytown.
Martinborough has a real vibe about it, maybe it’s the vineyards, or the easy, flat roads perfect for biking between cellar doors. Either way, it’s got charm.
Click on any Image to Enlarge
We rolled into the main square a bit early for check-in, so we popped into the local museum. A super friendly guy welcomed us at the door and gave us a tour, which turned out to be fascinating. Funny twist, he was the brother of a journalist I used to work with at The Auckland Star. Small world!
The Martinborough Hotel
After the museum, the Martinborough Hotel (just across the road) was calling our name for lunch.
We had a quick wander around the square after lunch before heading to check in at the campground.
Us tucked in for the evening.At Martinborough Top Ten
We’d booked a spot at the Top 10 Holiday Park, the only campground in town. After checking in, we reversed carefully into our site, just big enough at an angle so I could get the bikes off the rack. Plugged in, settled down, and ready for a great day of riding ahead. We had a couple of days’ clear weather before the next front was due.
Click on the Gallery below for an Enlarged Slideshow
Our bikes at Poppies in the vineyard.
Fiona all ready to get started 🙂
People enjoying themselves at Margrains
Other people at Poppies
Us tucked in for the evening.
The BBQ are in front of the showers and loos
Cabins too.
This was the VIP area.
In the main Square
In the centre of the Square getting ready for Anzac Day.
The next morning, the sun was out, so I got the bikes sorted, pumped up tyres, unpacked the gear, the works. While I was sorting the bikes stuff out, Fiona watched a Hot Air balloon sail past just behind Rafe across the sports field behind.
Last time we were here, we had a great lunch at Margrain’s, but this time we wanted to try something new. About 7–8 years ago we’d had a drink at Poppies but never made it back for a meal, I’d heard great things, so that was our lunch destination.
People enjoying themselves at Margrains
On the way, we stopped at Ata Rangi. I did a tasting and wow, their Chardonnay was like silk ($38 a bottle), dangerously nice! They had a top-shelf one at $70, even more refined, but we walked away with a bottle of the $38, yum!
Fiona all ready to get started 🙂Other people at Poppies
Then it was on to Poppies. We got a table outside, under a clear blue sky in the shade. Just magic. We shared a big platter full of all sorts of goodies, followed by a shared dessert platter that was just as good. Fantastic service too, such a treat.
The Dessert platter!
On the way back, we stopped in at Margrain’s for a glass of Chardonnay and a coffee. It’s such a lovely spot, overlooking the vineyard with the café perched right on the edge.
In the centre of the Square getting ready for Anzac Day.
After another stroll around the square, we headed back to the campground and packed the bikes away, ready for the next day’s adventure.
A perfect day in paradise Click on the map to enlarge
We’d been really lucky with the weather so far, but with a front on the way and rain in the forecast, we figured it was a good time to head to Greytownand check in with Ken at the Greytown Holiday Park.
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These Caravans are effectively cabins you can stay in.Lots of room at Greytown
This park is a real gem, set on a council reserve and just a short walk from the heart of town. We first met Kenaround six years ago, and he’s been running the place brilliantly ever since. It’s competitively priced, relaxed, and nothing ever seems to be a problem.
Ken’s new project. New Caravans for accommodation.
Ken was telling me about his new project with some replica Heritage caravans he has setup for more accommodation. They’re fully powered and look very comfortable.
Inside the new caravans
The rain came and went, but with umbrellas in hand, it was easy enough to duck between the amazing little shopsthat line Greytown’s main street. We visited a few cafés, browsed through some boutique stores, and then popped into a gin tasting shop, as you do.
Amazing shops
We came away with a bottle of Greytown Gin. Fiona chose a variety called Frostbite, which seems to be a local favourite. It comes in a refillable hip-flask-style tin, perfect for future visits!
Click on the Gallery below for images of Greytown.
From the Soldiers Walk
The Soldiers memorial walk
Inside looking the other way.
Ken’s new project. New Caravans for accomodation.
There’s also a great little walkwaythat runs along the edge of the Holiday Park, which we think is called the Soldiers Memorial Walk. It’s a lovely shortcut into the camping area, and we used it often while we were there.
The Soldiers memorial walk
We’ve had some great times at this park over the years, and after two nights we even considered staying longer. But with Martinborough vineyardsand some bike ridingstill calling, and the weather still holding, it was time to move on.
After a great night at Turangi, we hit the road heading south toward Masterton.
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At the Red Barn
We weren’t entirely sure how far we’d get, but thought somewhere around Palmerston North would do nicely for the night. Several friends had raved about a Park Over Property called the Red Barn, so I gave them a ring. Colleen picked up, warmly welcomed us, and just like that, we were sorted for the night.
The turnoff for Palmerston North is just a few k’s past the Makohine Viaduct. Not far along that road is Vinegar Hill Campground, and the drive winds up over some pretty steep hills before dropping into long, straight roads with stunning views heading into Palmerston.
The Red Barn
I was very thankful for Rafe’s trusty 3L Iveco engine on those hills; it handled them like a champ.
We arrived at the Red Barn mid-afternoon, sunshine blazing. Colleen came out to meet us and show us where to park, carrying a big bag of feijoas, no less! I absolutely love those things. The smell alone took me straight back to being a wee fella in short pants, mowing the lawn around my parents’ feijoa trees… and inevitably mowing over a few fallen ones too.
Colleen was fantastic, helpful, and full of local knowledge. The park itself is nestled up near some hills that are absolutely covered in wind turbines. It’s a pretty awesome sight watching them all spinning away. Something quite peaceful about it.
We settled in with a sneaky G&T, watched some TV, and enjoyed the simple luxury of powered parking. Bliss.
The next morning, we set off again, aiming for Masterton via Pahiatua. We weren’t quite sure of the best route, and, armed with two GPS systems that completely disagreed, we managed to get ourselves properly lost. Classic!
Getting up close
Eventually, after backtracking and resetting things, one of the GPSs picked up the Fitzherbert turnoff, and up the hill we went, right into windmill country. Seeing them up close is something else, they’re absolutely massive, and when you’re standing underneath them with all the blades whooshing away, it’s pretty surreal.
We cruised through Pahiatua and rolled into Masterton again around mid-afternoon… and would you believe it, brilliant sunshine yet again! The weather forecast had been all doom and gloom, but so far, we were enjoying nothing but blue skies and couldn’t be happier.
Rafe’s tracker map to Red Barn – Armada GPS
It’s been a wee while since we’ve both had a break, so we were really looking forward to heading down toward Masterton and Martinborough for a couple of weeks away.
Click on any Image to enlarge.
Tongariro on the way down.
We hit the motorway in perfect weather, with hardly any traffic thanks to the school holidays, a nice bonus!
Our first stop was Cambridge for fuel, and then we headed into the town centre for lunch. It was absolutely buzzing with people everywhere, very busy!
A really popular part of the park.
Back on the motorway heading south, we’d originally thought about stopping in Taupō, but with the school holidays and the V8 car races in town, we figured it was best to avoid the traffic chaos and carried on to Turangi.
Turangi NZMCA park
After stopping briefly in the Turangi township at one of our favourite coffee spots, we headed off to the NZMCA campground.
Turangi’s NZMCA camp is fantastic and even better now that they’ve got a dump station. The weather was stunning, though there were hints of bad weather brewing. Still, we had a great night there.
Ruapehu looking great
Next morning, we hit the road again, heading south via the Desert Road. It’s the first time in ages that I’ve seen the mountains so clearly and with no snow! We had to pull over and soak it in.
Lunch was at the Waiouru Army Museum, such a great spot. There’s good parking out the back for motorhomes too, which made it an easy and relaxing stop.
Cambridge has become another favourite place and with the Raceway providing such amazing facilities for an event like this. It makes it really easy to organise.
Click on any Image to enlarge
Looking pretty good.
Having a separate area to park, the Restaurant and normally a Burger shop along with the excellent Waikato River Bike Trails along the river means you can’t really go wrong 🙂
The Raceway
This was to be my last Rally as chief bottle washer, so it had to be a good one.
Peter and Judy’s Esprit with us behind. The two oldies!
We arrived just after midday to find Peter and Judy and Joss and Ben had already made themselves comfortable. They had left some room for us right next door 🙂
Peter and Judy’s Motorhome is a 2013 Dethleffs Esprit Low profile which was imported privately from the UK. It has the same 3 litre Iveco motor and associated running gear that we have in Rafe so it goes really well 🙂
It wasn’t long after that before everybody started arriving. Over the course of two days, we ended up with 21 Vehicles. We had quite a few more who were going to come but the over booked diary got in the way 🙂
It wasn’t long before the 4pm happy hour rolled around and with the wind whistling in the driveway, our usual spot under a big tree would have been unpleasant so we all setup up in a big area between two Motorhomes.
Click on the Gallery below for an Enlarged Slideshow
On the bikes – pic by Liz Tahana
On the bikes – pic by Liz Tahana
On the bikes – pic by Liz Tahana
Downtown Cambrideg
In the Restaurant
In the Restaurant
In the Restaurant
The Taem photo
The bike riders
Ben with his van behind at Happy Hour
some of the cars on their way to Frankton
Fiona and I had missed provisioning Rafe as we were depending on the Burger Bar, but it was closed so the only thing to do was join Peter and Judy and others for tea in Restaurant went down well as it was Steak night 🙂
The next morning was when we normally do the bike ride, and I hadn’t really organised anything, but I got our reasonably early to find many were setting up their bikes.
Liz volunteered to take the reins and lead everyone safely down the Waikato River to Tamahere and back with a stop for a cuppa on the way. Fantastic.
While they were busy doing that Fiona and I walked into downtown Cambridge with Peter and Judy for lunch and a look a general look around. 12000 steps odd! And about 3k’s round trip, good for the weight loss program 🙂
The bike ridersLiz leading the charge
We had a few hours after that to catch up with everyone and swap notes on our vehicles.
The Team photoAnd an extra team pic
Happy hour came around again along with the team photo and it was nice to be able to introduce the Richard to everyone.
Richard is keen to arrange the next event in the Wairarapa so we’re really looking forward to that. Richard has lots of experience in organising things and people so I sure next year’s event will be one not to miss!
Click on the Gallery below to see enlarged Happy Hour photos.
Happy hour Saturday
Ben with his van behind at Happy Hour
Happy Hour on Saturday
After the happy hour and photo, we all headed to the restaurant and had a great night there. Great food, great service and good company, what more could you want 🙂
In the morning, we were greeted with the arrivals of some Hot Rods and Motorbikes who briefly met in the carpark then headed off towards Frankton while we were saying goodbye to everyone before we headed for home.
The bikes on Sunday morning setting off for Franktonsome of the cars on their way to Frankton
A fantastic weekend and it went really well.
Rafe’s tracker map to Cambridge Raceway – Armada GPS
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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