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 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
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. A lovely peaceful spot and there’s a couple of overnight spots for motorhomers just around the corner by the boatramp.
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.
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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Quite 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. 😀
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
You can smell the history ..
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.
As you drive over the bridge from the Highway into Whangamomona, you feel as though you could be driving back in time 50 years or so. It’s like it’s all stopped still.
The Post Office and the Pub
Whangamomona was established in 1895 as a service centre for the local farming community. Then, there were 300 or so residents. Now there are about 30 residents in the village.
The rail bridge at Whangamomona
The buildings are amazing. There is a General Store which looking square on looks like a reasonable sized store but when you look side on, it’s a about 4 ft deep as a display! These days like in most small towns, the strong community is based around the hotel.
The local garage
In 1989, they rebelled against amalgamation and formed their own republic. You can even buy a passport.. At the hotel 🙂
A neat wee town, neat people and everywhere you look there is history
One of the great things about traveling on your own is that as most of the campgrounds charge by the person rather than by the park, it’s quite cheap to stay wherever you like. I’m meeting Fiona in Wellington later in the week so it’ll be time to be sensible again 🙂
Nice Bbq area
I checked in at the Tauramunui Motor Camp which is beside the river. After meeting the owner who gave me a good run down on the road to Whangamomona and gave me a brochure, showed me where to park. He’s a character, an ex Merchant Navy seaman from the UK with lots of stories to tell. He was really helpful and offered several brochures on the highway which was great and gave me confidence for the trip. He was telling me, they’d had a huge amount of rain and as it was all grass parking, there were some no go areas with the grass being too soft. At $16 including a NZMCA discount for a powered site, I thought this was pretty good and it would enable me to use the new Philips induction plate I’d just got, being on power. These plates are so efficient. In with the frozen peas into a pot and after just over a minute or so, they’re ready to go. Cooking steaks or meat takes a little longer. Fantastic.
Nice Barbecue area outside the Kitchen
Herbs you can help yourself to.
Play area for the nippers
I went for a walk down to the front of the park and it borders on the river. A nice spot. Around the back of the camp were cabins in the trees and in the middle a playground for the kids and the ablutions, showers and Kitchen block. All nice and clean and in good shape. I was there on my own until about 7pm when two or three camper vans popped in. The place still felt empty but it is the middle of winter 🙂
There’s nothing quite like a great welcome when you first arrive to check in for a spot in a Holiday Park.Helen and Trevor have been managing Coromandel Top 10 Holiday Park for the owners while they take a break overseas.
The Welcome Station
After seeing the state of the not quite finished NZMCA park, I decided to check in to the Coromandel Top 10 Holiday park and what a great welcome 🙂
Due to the huge amounts of rain, the grass was a muddy bog and everyone was huddled in a corner on the tar seal. There had been a few towed out that morning and more were rescued over the next few days !
I was given a nice park on Gravel with plenty of room around me with nice hedges separating the parking spots. Dump station just opposite and easy to get a big Motorhome into.
There is a heated swimming pool which some brave people were swimming in when I arrived back from a walk into town and it wasn’t a warm summer night either! The pool was warm but the lights were off and they’d forgotten about towels too.They were having fun with their children who were in too.
I was on my own and with winter rates it was $22 a night with power and the use of everything which I thought was pretty good for an effortless couple of nights in a clean and well kept Holiday Park.
A Villa you can rent
The kids in the park on Saturday certainly enjoyed it.
The forecast was definitely sorting out our location for us this weekend.. Parakai so we were plugged in for the heat and close to the pools. Parts of the Hawkes Bay was without power and roads were closed everywhere with snow. Somewhere warm and close by was the order of the day.
The last time we were at Parakai, it was hosing down and there was mud everywhere. It was very much the same this time except we were lucky in that we got to see a lot more of the sun but jeepers it was cold!
Muddy bits roped off. All the grass was muddy. Gary and Chris’s Fuso next to us. The latecomer with his wheels down next on the right.
One of our neighbours who arrived later in the night missed the concrete strips (easy to do) and his rear dual wheels were a good 4-6 inches down in the mud.
The pools were fantastic and it was nice to see our fulltiming friends, Gary and Chris again after their trip up North.
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I had just bought a new toy through the Noel Leeming / NZMCA discount scheme. It was a Philips Induction plate and what a little beauty. I’d just put enough frozen peas in the pot for four with some warm water. Then I hit the go button, wow, I wasn’t timing it but it wouldn’t have been much more than a minute and it was ready to eat. Then we did the steaks in a Staub pan while the girls were getting some chips from over the road. These took a lot longer and as its so easy to control the heat, better cooked and quicker than gas. Well worth getting.
After a good feed, we blobbed for a while and then went for a swim. Later, Chris made some nice scones for tea and we had a couple of glasses of Italian red to finish the day.
The Permanent area
The pool entrance
Outside the Railway Museum
the next morning, Fiona was keen to re visit the Antique shop at Helensville railway station so we went around there and quickly checked out the Railway Museum and café for a cuppa.
Chris and Gary (walking away) with their Fuso
Gary and Chris headed off for Rays Rest and we headed home.
A nice weekend and despite the cold, Parakai definitely looks better when the sun is beating down.
One of the main reasons for my trip to Coromandel was to be part of this amazing event. The Thames Coromandel District Council had arranged along with locals, to run this annual event on two nights. It has become an annual event but this year by all accounts, is much bigger.
The theme was “light” where people wore lights, the buildings were lit up, some of the trees, vehicles, the local kids and there was also live music in a marquee set up in the middle of the town. The whole community was involved.
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A Hula hooper with lit up Hoola Hoop
A great scene. retailers had market stalls setup outside their shops. There were people with lit hula hoops, juggling and later there was a parade of lights led by the local Fire Brigade.
The local preschool kids were all lit up along with bike riders and dancers.
The event finale was a huge fireworks display which you could see and hear from everywhere. Spectacular and I’m pleased I didn’t miss it.
After meeting my new friends from Christchurch, Rory and Henny and their friends Dave and Karen, I made a point of making sure that at some stage during the day, I should pop down to the NZMCA park and have a cup of tea with them and a catch up.
The Coromandel Pub, apparently you can also stay behind this for $20 including power
I set off reasonably early on my bike with my camera tucked down inside my coat and made my way down to the other end of Coromandel town.
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The shops and buildings are fascinating and you can feel a real vibe about the place. They were getting really for the Illume parade and event that night so it was even more buzzy than normal.
The free parkingover the road from the Police Station ..Handy!
This is right in front of the NZMCA park
The Causeway to the wharf
Down at the wharf
After getting some nice piccies and talking to a couple of the locals, I biked around to the wharf and then back to the NZMCA park where I caught up Rory and Henny and with typical South Island hospitality was just in time for some of Henny’s lovely homemade scones and a cup of coffee. We had a great hour or two talking about everything and they’re great fun and good company.
Its easy to tell where the Laundromat is !
I biked back, checked out the campground and blobbed out with the stereo before hittting the sack early to get ready for another big day.
Looking back towards Coromandel .. my bike on the right
A neat place to visit, some great places to stay and despite the weather, plenty to do and see.
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.
A lovely peaceful spot and there’s a couple of overnight spots for motorhomers just around the corner by the boatramp.
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