Tag Archives: Small Towns

Bay of Plenty, East Coast 2017

Peak time at Ngongotaha

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This really is an amazing park. The last time I was here, the trees had just come down and there was some concern as to how it would be without them. Nothing to worry about here, its fabulous and now with the extra space, it has just got a whole lot better.

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The front part looking good but as it had been so wet, no one was game to park on it.
The front part looking good but as it had been so wet, no one was game to park on it.

We were in transit between Taupo and Auckland getting Fiona back to the grandkids in their home in Ardmore for the birthday Grannies cake cutting 🙂

RotoruaWe stopped off down by the lake when we first arrived and went for a look around and a cup of tea after driving with a crosswind after a great night in Taupo.  After looking through the app for somewhere to stay, Ngongotaha NZMCA park was the standout place.

Busy
Busy

The first thing I noticed when we came in is that the driveway seems to have been smoothed out and there is a big new area at the front on the right for more parking. The night before a big storm had gone right through the country and everywhere was pretty wet so there was no one in this new area but it looked like a great addition.

Up at the back. I’ve never seen this being used before
Across the back
One of the best dump stations around
The neighbour

As we got to the top, we easily found a park and I went for a walk around the back. It was covered in caravan and a couple of Motorhomes.  I’ve never seen anyone parked right out the back so it was great to see.

Nice to see so many caravans
Nice to see so many caravans

I had only been there half an hour when a couple of people who I knew popped out for a chat. A lovely park and great to see the improvements and it being so busy..

East Coast 2017

Cruising by the River

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Staying at Mangaweka! What’s there? .. A fabulous campground by the river and a neat wee town bulging with personality 🙂
Gary and Dianne had finished up in Taupo and we’re ready to come out to play again in Rosie. We arranged to meet at the riverside campground at Mangaweka. I’ve been wanting to try the riverside camping thing for some time and the reviews show these campgrounds are pretty good.

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Rafe and Rosie with the cliffs of Mangaweka
Rafe and Rosie with the cliffs of Mangaweka

Fiona and I arrived early in the afternoon which was just as well as it had been really busy and it was first in best dressed. At $9 per person including power it was sensational value. We met some really nice caravanners parked in the centre, who were packing up to go, said we could grab their spot which was nice, and just as they left after 20 minutes or so, Gary and Dianne arrived in Rosie the XLI.

Fiona, Gary and Dianne on the bridge between the two camps
Fiona, Gary and Dianne on the bridge between the two camps
Looking back to the bridge
Looking back to the bridge

We plugged in, settled down and then set off over the bridge to pay at the Awastone Resort which is setup to be a little more upmarket than the campground.
Both campgrounds are owned and run by Paul and Tricia and their family. The bar, cafe, cabins, with gravel based parks and power right by the river, are $38 for a night for two. We could not go without having a few glasses of wine with homemade sausage rolls on the deck in the sun. After that we walked back over the bridge to celebrate Gary’s birthday. It was good to see them again. We we’re going to celebrate Gary’s birthday in Martinborough .

The Main Street
The Main Street

The next day we walked into the village to check it out. It’s an interesting town as State Highway 1 was moved to bypass the Main Street quite a long time ago and all the old buildings are still there. It’s like time stood still. We met a friend of one of the shop owners and it seems like there is a real arty, creative sort of community getting established there.

The Barbers shop
The Mangaweka Hotel
The kitchen facilities
Rosie and Rafe with Gary lounging

After having a look around and a cuppa at the cafe, as we headed back to the Campground, we tried to collar a couple of escaped sheep from a paddock and return them but after 20 minutes or so of pretending to be Sheep dogs and losing badly, we gave it away and carried on after making sure the sheep were heading away from State Highway 1. Isn’t it funny how the sheep can spot some townies pretending to be shepherds a mile away 🙂

The shops in the Main Street
The shops in the Main Street

This is another classic case of a place that’s usually a thoroughfare for most of us being completely overlooked as a neat destination. With both campgrounds here on either side of the river with different price points, they’re well setup for your next visit.

Rafe's Track to Mangaweka
Rafe’s Track to Mangaweka
East Coast 2017

Martinborough by Bike

The weather was great, there was still a bit of wind around but that’s normal for the Wairarapa apparently.

Getting ready
Getting ready

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Helen, Fiona, Rob and Chloe outside the first Vineyard
Helen, Fiona, Rob and Chloe outside the first Vineyard

Rob, Helen and Chloe had hired bikes for the day. I unloaded our bikes off the back of Rafe, put some air in the tires and we were off.
Martinborough is setup around a square which makes navigation really easy.

Chloe outside a vineyard on the way.
Chloe outside a vineyard on the way.

The first vineyard to visit was diagonally opposite the Martinborough Top 10 which is where we’re staying. We were there for the first hour and then moved onto Margrains where we had lunch before and were familiar with their wines.

My perfect house :-)
My perfect house 🙂

It’s amazing how the same or similar grape and wine type can taste so different with just half a kilometre or so between them.

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A person with a sense of humour
Chloe with the bikes at Margrains
Ye olde Hotel
Helen and Rob with Cjloe at the first Vineyard

The food was great and the wine even better with us buying a few bottles between us.

The Square
The Square

We’d just arrived back at the Motorcamp by bike after having a good nosey around the town, when the wine was dropped off at the campground.

The Square with Rafe on the other side.
The Square with Rafe on the other side.

It’s a great wee town Martinborough. Being nice and flat, it is perfect for bike riding and exploring.

East Coast 2017

And we’re off again

After 3 days over Christmas with Alex, Sarah and our Grandchildren Ayden and Liam, and after eating and drinking far too much 🙂 , it was time to head to Taupo and start making our way down to Martinborough and Cape Palliser. We had a great Christmas with Sarah’s family parked in their driveway with Rafe.

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Son Andrew with grandson Liam during Christmas lunch
Son Andrew with grandson Liam during Christmas lunch
Grandsons Liam and Ayden on the side of the goat pen
Grandsons Liam and Ayden on the side of the goat pen

On the way south, we stopped at the Hamilton Car Museum where we had stayed a month or so ago with the Dethleffs Owners group rally.  We’d parked 75 odd Motorhomes here on the first day and it looked very different today.. See the piccies below.

At the car museum for a cuppa
At the car museum for a cuppa
The empty car museum park
The empty car museum

I was a bit panicked that about what we might find in the way of Christmas Traffic but it was not to be. The traffic was pretty good.

View from the Museum
View from the Museum during the Dethleffs do.

We were meeting up with friends from Snells Beach(North of Auckland) Rob, Helen and Chloe who had been in Taupo for Christmas, and Gary and Dianne who live in Taupo. We were spending the night at their place and then heading on in convoy to Cape Palliser over the next few weeks.

We arrived in Taupo right on the dot of 3pm and Gary and Dianne were outside helping Rob back the Tracker into position so we could park along side. They had just arrived so perfect timing.

Gary and Dianne loading Rosie
Helen, Rob and Chloe with their Tracker behind
Parked up for the night in Taupo
The view from our park of Taupo
Rosie in pre pack mode
Gary had specially tidied up his wheels as he knew I was coming 🙂 we have this thing about shiny wheels !

After settling Rafe and the Tracker down, we were off for a drink by the BBQ! .. As you do.

We last saw Gary and Dianne at the Dethleffs do at Hamilton where Gary and I were the parking attendants and Di organised the event. It was nice to see them again. It had been a while since we saw Rob, Helen and Chloe too .. Great to see them too.

We were really looking forward to getting away as we’d been stuck in Auckland with pre Christmassy catchups and events.

The Tracker and Rafe about to set off for the next part of the trip
The Tracker and Rafe about to set off for the next part of the trip

A great fun night around the BBQ and we all crashed fairly early.

Races Tracker image to Taupo
Rafe’s  Tracker image to Taupo
Northland

New overnight parking at Hukerenui

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On our way north by the Hukerenui Pub is the Jack Morgan Museum. I was interested in this as my old Whalechaser Rorqual was built by a Jack Morgan in Picton and although I was certain there was no connection given the distance, one never knows 🙂

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The Museum
The Museum

It turns out that the Hukerenui Jack Morgan was a real character and was a local identity an on retirement started his collection which now makes up the contents of the Museum. Some of the locals have done a great job of the gardens next door too.

The Museum
Parking
The Garen with the Pub behind
Nice outdoor seating

His parents owned the pub next door which is where he was born.

The Parking, plenty of room
The Parking, plenty of room

A really interesting place and if you visit the Museum, you can stay for free on the grass behind. It is $6 a night otherwise. There are toilets there too.

MorganIts well worth a look through with all sorts of knick nacks from years gone by and there is a café next door in the pub to finish off with a cup of tea.

Coromandel 2016

Grand Central Park

In terms of being in the middle of things, this NZMCA park takes the cake for being handy to everything. Great restaurants, several pubs, lots of history and things to do. It is in Coromandel and is just behind the BP station as you come into the town on the left. Blink and you’ll miss the entrance.

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The NZMCA park looking fabulous
The NZMCA park looking fabulous

Its is also very conveniently right behind the Coromandel Smoking Company where you can buy everything from smoked fish and other seafood to great cheese from local cheesemakers.

Keeping out the wind and having fun
Keeping out the wind and having fun

I have been here in the middle of winter when it had been punished by endless rain and many were camped in a small area of gravel by the entrance.  I gather the local managers of the park have a solution to the water problem in winter and there are plans to make it more all weather.  Our two nights there were great and there were about a dozen  other motorhomes and caravans who came and went while we were there.

Our first day there, we had lunch at the local pub with friends Rob, Helen and Chloe. Fiona and I shared a seafood basket for $16 which was amazing with bits of everything along with a nice glass of wine.  We decided it was so nice we had to go back later to watch the rugby.. the one with the controversial try! … A great night and an interesting game.

The shop to go to for Happy hour food 🙂
Yum
The Pub
Lunch in the Beer garden
The Seafood basket.. Yum
Rob, Helen, Chloe and Fiona behind enjoying lunch at the pub.
The Tracker and Rafe at the park

The next day, we checked out Driving Creek Railway which is just up the hill from the town.

coromandelThere is so much to see and do in Coromandel. It is so well setup for Motorhomes too and the park perfectly located to make everything easily within walking distance.

Hot pools, North Island road trip 2016

Ohinemutu

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It’s always a great experience checking out St Faiths Church and Ohinemutu on the lakefront, when I’m in Rotorua.

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The chap in the window
The walk on water window

I can remember coming here when I was in short pants and it still looks as good now if not better.

Inside St Faiths
Inside St Faiths

It’s always quite serene and has an air about it which is nice. I think the thermal steam from the cracks in the road and everywhere probably helps this too.

There were quite a few people there too having a good look around so that’s great for the donation boxes there. OhinemutuA lovely peaceful spot and there’s a couple of overnight spots for motorhomers just around the corner by the boatramp.

North Island road trip 2016

A bike ride through Wanganui

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I was staying at Caroline’s Outback Campground and with a day where it was threatening to rain, I decided to ride into Wanganui town and have a wee look around.Wanganui
I stopped down by where the ferry is kept on the river not far from Moutua Park and the buildings around there were just something else.

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WanganuiQuite a few of them were vacant which gave me reason to think that some of the businesses might be finding it tough but despite that, they’re well maintained and just beautiful buildings. I’m a bit of sucker for things like this, old boats buildings cars.. Just nice to see.

While I was there, a maintainence person came about and started painting the funnel of the river boat. I also came across a lady trying to get a picture of the ball on the waterfront without getting herself in the reflections so I was happy to show her how with the built in cracks on the ball. 😀Wanganui
After an hour of cruising around, I headed back to the camp before the expected rain hit. Great bike tracks and walkways and a neat little city with lovely buildings.

North Island road trip 2016

The Water Tower

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One of the things that was a recommended thing to do by Rob in New Plymouth was the Water Tower in Hawera and he was right. It’s well worth doing just to give you a sense of where everything is.

And you can see it everywhere.
And you can see it everywhere.

The Water Tower was built in 1914 as the Insurance companies at the time were concerned about the low water pressure for fire fighting after a series of disastrous fires.

The Main Street of Hawera with the base of Mt Taranaki on the right.
The Main Street of Hawera with the base of Mt Taranaki on the right.

While it was being constructed, there was an earthquake which put the whole tower on a lean. When the water was pumped in later, they fixed it in the middle of the night by undermining the foundations and shoring them up.

The Main Street
One of the “rest areas” along the way.
The Tower

There are more than 220 odd steps but with fairly large galleries between the levels to stop and catch your breath. It costs $2.50 per person which you pay to the ISite at the foot of the tower and they’ll give you a key.
Very worthwhile cheap entertainment for an hour or so and a fantastic view from the top.

North Island road trip 2016

Headquarters

After walking around the town, I checked out the Hotel, HQ for the republic!  The Whangamomona Hotel was originally built in 1902 but burnt down 8 years or so later. In 1919 it was used as a Hospital and during the depression.

Before the fire
Before the fire

In 1989 when the Electoral people in Wellington were amalgamating councils everywhere, they decided in their wisdom ? That they would amalgamate the good folk of Whangamomona away from Taranaki to Wanganui on the basis that the river edged up there. The locals were understandably incensed and decided they would break away as a republic. The Hotel was the Republic Headquarters and after local elections for a president, all the tough decisions are made at the hotel. Sounds very sensible to me 🙂 You can even buy a republic passport!

Anita with the pubs cat.
Anita with the pubs cat.

When I arrived, I found the Hotel was closed but Anita the manageress was very happy to open it so I could get some piccies of the hotel.

Whangamomona PubWhangamomona Pub
You can smell the history ..

Anita at the bar
Anita at the bar

It currently has a category 2 listing as a Historic building and is regarded as one of the most remote pubs in NZ.

As it was closed when I was there, I couldn’t try anything but they have an excellent reputation for great meals.