Tag Archives: Special events

Coromandel 2016

Cat flaps and Avocados

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To beat the traffic south, we stayed overnight in Rafe, in their Ardmore driveway with Alex, Sarah and the boys.
At around 8:30 in the morning, we heard the little knock from 3yr old Liam wanting to come in. Fiona let him in and he jumped on the bed and played his favourite games on Fiona’s iPad.
We got up and had breakfast 15 or so minutes later when Ayden(7yrs) arrived to join in. He went on to tell us that Liam had sneaked out to see us and in doing so, got stuck in the cat flap in the back door. To cries of “help please” Sarah got up to help him back out of the cat flap and free himself. We had no idea but when I mentioned it to him later, he shrugged his shoulders and just grinned at me. 😀

Dancing
Dancing

After saying goodbye, we headed towards Paeroa to stop briefly at Countdown for groceries and then on to Katikati to join in with the NZMCA promoted Katikati Wine and Avocado festival at Uretara Domain.

Rafe in front of the the park. Although we could have stayed there, we moved later over to the edge of the park closer to other Motorhomes.
Rafe in front of the the park. Although we could have stayed there, we moved later over to the edge of the park closer to other Motorhomes.

We did this for the first time last year and it was a real hoot. Great music, interesting food and nice wines. I bought a nice bottle of Chardonnay and Fiona had a cider and we ordered several bits to make up a great lunch. We joined up with some nice people from Tauranga. After them, we were joined by another couple also from Tauranga but originally from Auckland. As it turns out, our sons had both been posted overseas one after the other to the same place. Small world stuff.
It was a great day. The Katikati Lions club did a great job arranging parking for about 30 odd Motorhomes and setting up the event.

The normally free are next to the reserve.. Chocker !
Earlier in the day
Everyone was involved
One of the stalls
One of the wine dealers
Lions club people cleaning up as the day went on. They did a fantastic job.
One of the early bands
One of the wine stalls there
I’m not sure who they were but she was amazing on the bagpipes too.
You can see the Motorhomes in the background
One of the main bands
Dancing
Talks around the cricket pitch
Later I moved Rafe over with the other Motorhomes once some cars left.

Last year, we were in the normal free parking next to the domain but this year, there were more vans so we parked right on the domain behind a temporary fence which worked really well.
Later we were invited over to our neighbours two buses for the customary happy hour with about 18 others from Motorhomes.

The proceeds of the festival were for the local rescue helicopter.
The proceeds of the festival were for the local rescue helicopter.

A great fun day for everyone and I hope this years charity, Katikati rescue Helicopter rescue squad did OK from the proceeds.

Art Deco 2016

Music, Motorcars, Planes and old Bikes

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We missed the shuttle for the second day in a row by all of 5 minutes! Punishment was a reasonably pleasant walk into Napier in the sun to see the Art Deco parade, the event of the festival. There were more than 250 cars, dancing on street corners, motorbikes, the NZ Army band, pipe bands, it was all on. Everyone was having fun.

An amazing car/caravan combination on the walk to the parade.
An amazing car/caravan combination on the walk to the parade.

It seemed like half of NZ was in Napier, people everywhere.
I parked myself on a traffic island after talking to a marshall and hearing the planned route.

While I was waiting for the parade to start, I received a cell phone call from John, a boatie mate from Devonport. Where was I? Standing on a traffic island in the middle of the main street of Napier was my reply. It turned out he was in Napier too within eyesight and we were catching up after the parade ! How small is NZ !

Once the parade started, I had to keep moving. Great fun.

Warbirds in action over the waterfront
Warbirds in action over the waterfront

Click on the images to see them in hi res

Entertainment in the soundshell before the parade started.
The traction engine giving people rides

After the parade finished, we looked for a cafe to have lunch.

Parade

On the way home, these people stopped so I could get a piccie if them.
On the way home, these people stopped so I could get a piccie if them.

They were all chocker with all the people so we decided we’d head back to Rafe for some lunch. As we walked, we got a phone call from John who suggested a cafe on the way .. And we met John and Katherine shortly after.. amazing. They had been house sitting out of town and had come in for the parade. We headed back to Rafe after that and joined our Waiuku friends for happy hour and later tea for our last night in Napier.

Art Deco 2016

Old metal with smiles all around

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After sneaking out if the park to get some water and groceries and sneaking back in again, we  missed the last shuttle bus to town so we walked the 1k or so into town to check out the fun and it was well worth the walk!

Is that a gun
Is that a gun

Traction engines, steam rollers and so many amazing cars.
I got talking to Dave, the owner of a one off Studebaker that he got his license in when he was 15 and later bought the car. The car was made in Hastings with a wooden frame and has steel over the top with a full genuine Studebaker everything else in it. A lovely car.

Dave with his one off Hastings made Studebaker
Dave with his one off Hastings made Studebaker
The Studebaker
The Studebaker

We bumped into Dave and Rosemarie and all the crew from Waiuku there and they were really enjoying the scene and we’re all dressed very nicely. The pictures below tell the story.

Click on the images for hi res and a slideshow

With the traction engine
Dave and Rosemarie with the cars
Dave admiring the Le Frame 14 litre motor

The retailers of Napier were all decked out in their finery, all enjoying he festival.

The good folk of Waiuku all decked out magnificently. Fiona on the left.
The ladies from Waiuku all decked out magnificently. Fiona on the left.

There was a couple who turned a street into their dance floor with a busker and did a very impressive floor show for the crowd around. Very good dancers and the crowd really appreciated it.

Impromptu dancing to the busker
Impromptu dancing to the busker

I even bumped into an old friend of mine Geoff who was also a photographer with me at the NZ Herald 30 odd yrs ago. NZ really is a small place !

As the day wore on and it got hotter, we found the 1918 Austin Bus was going our way home so after a $5 donation, we were on our way.

The view out of the windscreen of the 1918 bus. Steam roller in front
The view out of the windscreen of the 1918 bus. Steam roller in front
The 1918 Austin Bus that we came home in
The 1918 Austin Bus that we came home in

A fun day and more tomorrow.

Art Deco 2016

Spats and Hats

We woke up this morning to find a whole lot more Motorhomes and another Dethleffs Globe4 right next door. I can count on one hand the number of Globe 4’s I have seen around on the road so to have one right next door was amazing.

Two Globe 4's in the same region!
Two Globe 4’s in the same region!

We met Bill and Lynley at the Dethleffs annual rally at Miranda late last year. They had then just taken delivery of their new van.
Bill is a keen cyclist and suggested we have lunch at Ahuriri Cafe, a neat little cafe around by the port so we got ourselves organised and off we went.
The sky was blue but black towards the west and the forecast was for heavy rain.

From the pier looking along the waterfront
In Ahuriri as the car went past
Across the road from Ahuriri cafe
Fiona riding past the marina.
Riding back around by the port
A rare Le Frame race car outside the Masonic
Outside the Masonic
In their classic gear having a nice lunch

A great lunch and nice catching up with them both.
Just biking along by the port, we came across an elderly couple out for a walk in all their finery, him with spats, bow tie and plus 4’s and hat, her with her cloche hat, nice long period dress and fine shoes, bid us a very cheery good afternoon. Very nice and very friendly. Great atmosphere and everybody is enjoying the fun.
On the way back, we stopped at the Masonic to check out the vintage cars and people all dressed up enjoying the moment.

imageWe stopped for a yummy Gelato on the waterfront on the way back to Rafe and just got the bikes back on the rack when the rain came down.

The park is filling up
The park is filling up
And with a sea view too
And with a sea view too. More than 90 Motorhomes and caravans.