NZMCA Rally at Manawatu College, Foxton

The promised rainy weekend arrived and it was lucky that all attendees were on hard parking.  With not much at all in the way of parking help or instructions when we arrived, everyone had arranged themselves as they wanted, on the quadrangle and in front of classrooms.  Some of the motor homes were parked very close together, and we were hemmed in with a motor home at either end.  We felt this was a bit dangerous, and heaven help us in an emergency if anyone needed to get out quickly.

Motor homes everywhere with us in the middle

Even more motor homes and buses at the college

We awoke on Saturday morning to a mild crisis – the gas had run out overnight so the fridge wasn’t working.  Luckily Robin had brought an extra gas bottle with him.  So on with his yellow raincoat, and out he had to go in the pouring rain to change the gas bottle over.  Crisis over.

What a way to start the morning

There was a mid-winter lunch organised at the local RSA.  With just a short walk through the college grounds, over a little bit of rough ground, and squeezing through a gap in the fence and we were there.  The dining room was packed with a whole bunch of happy campers ready for a nice roast meal.  What could be nicer than roast beef, roast potatoes and pumpkin and seasonal veggies on a cold winter day.  Dessert was apple and blackberry crumble served with whipped cream, and tea or coffee to follow.  All very reasonably priced too.

We took over the dining room

  Geoff, Eileen, Jenny and Robin at lunch

The dining room had a very beautiful Maori door lintel carving on display.  Carved in 1982 by John Collins, in the style of the Te Atiawa tribe of Taranaki, it was made for the local Feltex factory.  When the factory closed down, the carving was gifted to the RSA club.  The timber used is a piece of Kauri which has been dated to 700 years old.

Carved Pare (door lintel)

Our get-togethers were held in the college hall, morning teas, happy hours, and a few games of housie on Friday evening.  Geoff and Eileen won a meat pack in one of the quick fire raffles, that would keep them well fed for several meals. A large group of us enjoyed the film “The King’s Speech” on Saturday evening, but oh, those plastic chairs in the hall were so uncomfortable to sit in for any length of time.  A large diesel heater roared away and really worked hard warming the  hall.  It sounded rather like a rocket ready to take off.

Diesel heater in hall, glowing red

It was another good weekend away. Being Murphy’s Law we packed up in the rain, and started off for home, this time taking the caravan back with us.  Several neighbours had noticed that we returned home without it last time, and wanted to know where it was.  With the fridge and bathroom cleaned, and the floor vacuumed, it is all ready for the next trip away in a couple of weeks time.