Tag Archives: Small Towns

Northland

Arts N Tartan

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Some weeks ago, our friend Helen had organised our tickets for the Arts and Tartan show at Waipu and we were really looking forward to it. Waipu is a neat wee town and we’ve parked in the Caledonian park before and its a great spot and great value.

Motorhome friends, Helen, Rob and daughter Chloe had got away early and called us to say that they had just arrived in Waipu as I was just picking up Fiona from work in Takapuna at 6pm.

The parking was going to be a bit of a battle as the grounds where we would normally park under the trees was sodden and we were going to have to stay in the carpark with 1000’s of others.  I get very nervous when peeps park too close to Rafe as they do when parking is tight but its such a nice spot, it was worth a shot.

The pictures below were taken in earlier in the year in summer so you can see how nice it is.

Click on the images to see them in Hi Res

A great park and at $10 including power is just fantastic and they're great people too.
A great park and at $10 including power is just fantastic and they’re great people too. The carpark is behind the white railing in the distance.
At the Caledonian Reserve
At the Caledonian Reserve in the carpark… another wet day earlier in the year.

We were underway. Fiona had bought some salads to have for tea so we stopped at the BP station off the motorway by Silverdale to eat them. It was pouring down and was forecast to pour pretty much all the way.

We arrived in Waipu around 8:30pm and the carpark was chocker so we parked around by the RSA and watched some TV until the carpark emptied out at 10pm which was easy, even though it was still pouring with rain.

A Juggler twurling some flames. The parking can be seen behind him. You can see how wet it was.
A Juggler twurling some flames. The parking can be seen behind him. You can see how wet it was.

On the Saturday, the sun was shining so I parked Rafe a little more tidily and we replugged in to the power and went for a walk with Rob, Helen and Chloe to check out the Waipu shops.

What we didn’t know at that stage was there was a Rugby Club do as well so the carpark was more under pressure than ever.

As it got closer to the 2pm session which we were going to, more and more cars piled in. There were cars everywhere. All down both sides of the main street and some streets away.

The usherettes ready to go
The usherettes ready to go

Off we went to the show at the Celtic Barn which was right next door and it was a fantastic show. Great lighting, amazing sound and an all round slick performance by all.

I wasn’t allowed to take pictures but the local Photographer charged with getting piccies, Peter Grant, has very kindly sent me some images to share some of what it was all about.  Thanks again Peter.

To see a slideshow of Peter’s images, click on an image below.

By Peter Grant
By Peter Grant
By Peter Grant
By Peter Grant
By Peter Grant
By Peter Grant
By Peter Grant

Done mostly by locals and local talent, it was stunning and I recommend anyone who is thinking about seeing it to do so next year. Its really worth seeing and is a lot of fun.

After the show we had tea with Rob, Helen and Chloe in the Tracker which was fun and later in the evening, the Rugby club returned. Well .. it was looking like it was going to be a wild night in the carpark so at about 10:30, we made a decision to leave and head for a park just around the corner by the river which was fine.

Returning the next day and seeing the beer bottles strewn around, it looks as though we did the right thing.  It was a mess. By all accounts they had some fun.

Its a great park but when its wet, you can’t get across to park under the trees due to mud.  The carpark with two events like that is really just too dodgy for expensive motorhomes with their sides exposed. Maybe we were a bit optimistic parking there given the pressure on the carpark.

Despite all this, a lot of fun.

By Peter Grant
And the last word to those magnificent men in their flying machines. Pic by Peter Grant

We came and we saw the  Wearable Arts and they were absolutely fantastic.  Don’t miss it,  but from our experience, if its wet, park your motorhomes around the corner 🙂

Coromandel 2016

Weekend Off

Fiona and her sister Sara had organised a girls trip to Wellington and I wasn’t invited 🙂 

Danby Field
Danby Field

So I thought about a trip up around Coromandel for a few days on my tod. My first night was at Danby Field in Thames where there were plenty of holes free. 

I met my neighbours and their friends with their new Trailite and Burstner Ixeo which was interesting. The new Burstner Ixeo is like one of the new Dethleffs where they’ve completely done away with a permanent bed and rely solely on a drop down bed from the ceiling. Instead of having a bed at the back, the whole back area is devoted to a shower, toilet area and storage.  I’m not sure that it’s my cup of tea but it’s an interesting way of reducing the overall length of the Motorhome and still have plenty of space for a big social area at the front.

Morning in Thames
Morning in Thames

The next morning with it being windy, I had an early start and set off towards Coromandel town up the coast road. After having a couple of close shaves with reckless logging truck drivers coming the other way, I got to Coromandel quite early and headed straight to the NZMCA park in the town. 

Looking towards Corormandel from the top of the hill
Looking towards Corormandel from the top of the hill

With all the rain we’ve had and with it being quite low lying land, it was a mud bog but after only a few minutes parked there, I met quite a few people who were all parked together on a tar sealed area on the side. 

One caravanning couple, Rory and Henny, from Christchurch were traveling with their friends from Whakatane and the more I got talking to him, the more members of my family he knew, some probably better that me!  Small world stuff. It turns out that Rory grew up in Diamond Harbour where my grandfather had the general store, was postmaster and the local real estate agent as well. He remembers buying ice creams off my grandfather when he was a kid and described him to a tee. .. Wow.. He also knew some of my Christchurch rellies on my Mums side too.

I also met a couple in a CI Motorhome that we’d previously met in the NZMCA Ngontotaha park and some others who had recently received their brand new Dethleffs Trend. It was nice to talk to them too.

Seeing the amount of mud there and with another good thunderstorm and rain due that afternoon, I thought it would be prudent to check in at a local Campground and spoil myself in preparation for the Illume festival that night.

Close to home, Marine

A Latte in a Small Town

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On our way North, we stopped in at Warkworth.  It’s been a while since I’ve been to Warkworth as its one of those towns that you tend to drive through rather than stop at and it never disappoints. 

Remember to click on the images for Hi Res or a slideshow

The River
The River

We parked down by the river where there is one big Motohome park which Rafe fits in like a glove. It must be 7.6m long 🙂 

Our carpark by the river
Our carpark by the river

We went for a walk along the river side and then around to a French cafe in the town. I couldn’t believe how many Cafes and Real Estate agents there are in Warkworth. The Cafes are pretty much all next door to each other too. 

New Seating
The main street

After a nice lunch, we went for a walk around the shops and then we headed back down to the river to Rafe. 

WarkworthIt’s all looking very nice. The council have done a great job with local business’s contributing to the costs. It seem to be enjoyed by many while we were there and is a really nice place for lunch or just a stopping off point.

Motorhome Parking
Motorhome Parking

There is also motorhome parking at the end of the main shopping road within walking distance to the river.

Close to home, Day Trips

Tyers Magic

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Before we enjoyed a great lunch at the Helensville Railway Station Cafe, we visited the Helensville Train Museum right next door.
Run by the Helensville Railway Station Trust by volunteers, this is well worth checking out.

Helensville Railway Station with the Museum behind
Helensville Railway Station with the Museum behind

parakaiThere is a gigantic model railway based on Helensville, even replicating well know local buildings and known points. There is even a little orange sign that says, “You are Here” 🙂
The chap that built the model spent 30 years putting it together.

Click on any photo for Hi Res or a Slideshow

Helensville Station. Note the pub in the background
Helensville Station. Note the pub in the background
The Pub over the road
The Pub over the road

After spending an hour or so, checking it all out, one of the volunteers came over and said to me, “come and check this out, I’ll demonstrate it for you”.
There were two red boxes with buttons and bells.
This was The Tyers Tablet system which railways in both Great Britain and New Zealand used up until 1994 on single lines to prevent head on collisions.
It involved a sophisticated coded bell system with switches with electromagnetic locks that allows a small disk, a Tablet, to be released for a train driver when the line is clear. The system was setup between railway stations at each end of a line.

All Packed
All Packed

Given that it was setup in the dark old days of bleeps over the phone lines, it’s a clever system. Helensville Railway Museum is the only one that we know of still in working order and when you think of what it had to do and when it was invented, it’s pretty clever.
If you want more info on this, Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about the Tyers Tablet system and here’s a youtube vid of the Helensville setup being explained.

 

The Railway Station in 1910
An old train at the station
Fiona in the ticket office

The two volunteers there were only too happy to show me everything at the museum and couldn’t have been more helpful. It’s a must do if you’re in town.
It’s $3.00 each and well worth it.

Close to home, Hot pools

On Track

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Helensville is a neat little town and after spending a nice afternoon in the Hot Pools at Parakai, we took Rafe in for a nosey around.
We’ve been to the Railway Station before we had Rafe and it has a fantastic cafe which is where the original NZ Railways cafe was.

The Railway Station in 1910
The Railway Station in 1910

There is also a antique shop run by a nice lady who once lived in Auckland but escaped to Helensville a long time ago!
The Railway Station is owned by the Helensville Railway Trust and they’ve recently just done up the building including the loos. There is plenty of parking so it’s an easy place to park your Motorhome.

Just a friendly reminder, click on the images for hi res or a slideshow.

It was time for lunch so to the cafe. Still being ultra nice to my front tooth, I had to skip some of the real bready lunches and had a “Train smash” I think it was called which was basically a full breakfast.. Very nice. Fiona had an Angus beef burger.

My "Trainsmash"
My “Trainsmash”
Fiona's Angus Burger
Fiona’s Angus Burger

On the wall is a great photo of the staff at that particular time. Looking at the gear, they’re wearing, I’d say it’s late 1800’s or early 1900’s.

NZR café staff in the early 1900's . The lady in the middle was the manager who recently had her 90th birthday at the Café.
NZR café staff in the early 1900’s . The lady in the middle was the manager who recently had her 90th birthday at the Café.

The woman in the middle was in charge at the time and she recently celebrated her 90th birthday at the Cafe. A great story.
There are some really interesting pictures on the wall, one which looks like it might have been in France where a train jumped out of a wall on a second story. Oops!

Oops. Seen on the wall.
Helensville Railway Station with the Museum behind
In the Antique Shop
Antiques
Fiona at the counter in the cafe
The cafe
The outside Cafearea
Post office
The BNZ building
Rafe in the main street

After having a look around, we stopped for a look at the shops in the Main Street.

Main Street
Main Street

Some interesting buildings, everywhere you look  you see history.

Auckland Parks, Close to home, Hot pools

Recovery trip

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Its not quite what it sounds like. I’ve just had an implant in one of my front teeth  and it’s amazing how groggy and dozy you can feel for days afterwards from all the rocket fuel that’s loaded into your veins. All for a good cause of course 🙂

To keep things simple and because it was wet and rainy, we thought we’d try the Parakai Hot Springs park near Helensville. As it was reasonably close and we thought a nice blob out spot with the pools.

Remember to click on the images for hi red or a slideshow.

A bit wet but nice park environment
A bit wet but nice park environment

The lady at the counter was great fun and after telling me that Fiona was a senior, and we had a good giggle at that, she gave us all the info we needed and we headed off to our parking spot.

Because it has been so wet, they only had 7 concreted parking spots for motor homes but there are a lot more for when it’s dry.

ParakaiIt’s well set up with a big toilet and kitchen block in the middle and some permanent caravans down at the other end. Every second parking spot has a rubbish bin and tap. The bin was emptied every morning. There is also a security man parked in the corner.

A Dethleffs XLI at the end with us next to it.
A Dethleffs XLI at the end with us next to it. Eric and Lyns Hymer second from the right.

After parking, we set off to have a swim. Two big pools, one outdoor which is cooler and a nice hot one indoors.  There were lots of people there swimming and also enjoying food from the on site cafe.

The entrance to the pools and where you pay for the campground.
People enjoying the indoor pool
The indoor pool
The slide
The cooler outdoor pool
Playground for the kids (or grandkids)
A chap on a plinth
Camping
Some of the permanent caravans
The toilet/shower and kitchen block

On getting back to Rafe, we met our neighbours Eric and Lyn from Orewa with their C class Hymer and their friends from Warkworth.  You don’t see many of these  Hymers around. Their one came from the UK originally. Nice little van.  I joined them in between rain showers on one of the barbeque tables for a cold one.
On the second night we met neighbours on the other side in their near new Dethleffs XLI. Ian and Lynne have sold their house, bought the van and are fulltiming!  Way to go! They came over to Rafe and we solved the worlds problems for an hour or two, as you do.

Fiona enjoying they heat
Fiona enjoying they heat (Cell ph pic)

I have to say it’s definitely a nice close option for my favourite hot pool park at Miranda.

It’s not quite as flash as Miranda but its clean, tidy and perfectly functional. We didn’t see it at its best as there was rain, thunder and high winds but a very pleasant place to stay.  At $28 a night, I think its pretty good value and power is free for NZMCA members.(included in the $28)

For those interested in Internet Speeds,
The Netspeed speedtest:
Download: 30.03 Mbps
Upload: 9.65 Mbps
Ping: 49 ms
Server: Auckland
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=-36.659292,174.431957

Northland

The longest Pedestrian Bridge in the Southern Hemisphere

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While we had the car at Otamuri Bay, we thought it would be rude to not use it for a look around the area. 

The Whananaki Bridge
Fiona walking on the Whananaki Bridge

We headed back over the hill to Whananake North so we could answer texts and emails and the set off on foot to check out the Whananaki foot bridge which connects the southern shore of the estuary to the northern shore. 

Click on the images to see them in Hi res or a slideshow

The Whananaki Bridge with the school on the other side.
Fiona on the Whananaki Bridge with the school on the other side.

I had to stoop to hold the hand rail where I felt the need and it takes about 20 odd minutes to cross it. It would be fun for the school kids in a blow to get to Whananake North School! 

The Whananaki Bridge
Moureeses Bay
Moureseeses Bay

An interesting crossing so after that we headed back to Otamuri bay and beyond. The seal stopped on the road just past the Doc camp and a rather twisty, windy road takes you straight up and straight down again to a bunch of surf beaches.

Surfing at Moureeses Bay
Surfing at Moureeses Bay

We stopped at Moureeses Bay where some surfies were having fun. Another stunning Northland Beach which you would never know was there.

Northland

See you in a few days

With nothing happening in my diary for a few days, Fiona suggested I head north and catch up with our old Boating, and now Motorhome friends, Chris and Gary Parkes.

Fiona will join us with the car at the end of the week.
They’ve cashed up and are now full timing in their Mitzi Fuso, Ci Munro truck for the next wee while and seem to be really enjoying it.

The remains of the weather that hit Sydney’s beaches was, due to hit Northland so I thought I’d try a campground away from the gale north easterlies hitting our coast.

I arrived in Paparoa, on the road to Dargaville mid afternoon and checked in to the Paparoa Holiday Park.

Remember to click on the images for hi res or slideshow

The view of the camp from the entrance.
The view of the camp from the entrance.

This park was built from a paddock by the current owners and is all gravel with lots of small trees and cabins which offer good protection from the wind and rain. On my own, it cost $15 which is extremely good value with power.

Kitchen
Rafe in the corner
Small cabins
General Store
The river with the shops in the background
Part of the redeveloped Landing
The area redeveloped and now called the Landing. The National Bank building in the middle.

I got the bike of the back and went for a toodle into the Paparoa village for a look around. The Pub is just around the corner and the village is loaded with history. There is a river which comes up from the Kaipara which was used to get supplies up for the locals and dragged up a bank by wires from the boats. The old National Bank building is built into the shape of the corner which is interesting too.

One of the neat historic houses there
One of the neat historic houses there

A neat little town and a nice wee campground.

Bay of Plenty, Hot pools

The 20000th Peppermint

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I was having a bit of browse through the NZMCA app and found Athenree Holiday Park. We cruised into the entrance and popped into the reception. Well, what a welcome.. “You’re our 20000th customer, have a peppermint! ”
Fantastic. That doesn’t happen too often!

Fiona having a cup of tea in the sun
Fiona having a cup of tea in the sun

We’re parked right on the waterfront facing towards Katikati just up from Bowentown.

Remember to click on the images for Hi Res or slideshow

Bowentown in the distance
Our little park in paradise

They have two hot pools. One is directly fed by a bore that goes down 220 metres and the water comes up about 35c. They have another smaller adults pool which has the water tweaked up by a heat exchanger from waste water. It’s fantastic.. Nice and hot.

The Pools .. hot adults pool on the left
The Pools .. hot adults pool on the left

Nice big flat parks and with the pools, great.

anthenreeAcross the road is a kids playground and the other side of the peninsula. More water!

Right by the water
Right by the water

Home for a few days after this.

Auckland Parks, Close to home

The Farmers Markets

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One of the nice things about travelling in a Motorhome is visiting all the out of town village like shopping areas and the Farmers Markets.

Fun in the Sun
Fun in the Sun

While we were staying in Ardmore recently, we visited the Clevedon Farmers Market which is just out of the village but well signposted.

Click on the images to see Hi Res or a slideshow

Coastguard Donations
Busy carpark
Smoothie time
The vege department
Kids enjoying themselves
Always somewhere to rest
Even a motorhomer
You know you’re in a rural spot when you see this.

We found out very quickly how popular this is when we first looked for a park. Its amazing, people everywhere.

marketThere is everything from Veges, Cheeses, Spices and Jams all with some live music and a hay bale to sit on. Its a great atmosphere.
The weather wasn’t really behaving itself when we went with showers but it didn’t seem to worry anyone with lots of shelter there.

Sunday mornings from 9am – 1pm.. well worth a visit. If you want to park there with your motorhome, get there early 🙂