The three day Labour Weekend in October is the last long weekend before the Christmas holidays. We joined our caravan club friends for a rally at Himitangi Beach Motor Camp on Friday. Loading up supplies in the rain, we trudged in and out of the house, to the caravan and back again. With another “Open Home” due of Sunday, we had a quick tidy up inside. Robin was on bathroom duties while I wielded the vacuum cleaner, dusted, plumped up cushions, gathered up loose papers and all that sort of thing. Whew – we really deserved a weekend away after all that! With the car and caravan hooked up, our cat safely inside the car, it was time to go. First stop was at Plimmerton to the Truck Stop to fuel up the 4WD.
Truck Stop at Plimmerton
We arrived at the motor camp in time for a late lunch. The weather was sunny, but the cold wind was blowing in straight from the beach.
Himatangi Beach Motor Camp
The men were interested to hear Robin’s story of our car troubles and lost no time in checking out the new head under the bonnet.
Yes, that does look like an expensive job
Being a long weekend, the camp was full to overflowing. Many people have caravans with a permanent lean-to and come to the camp every weekend. Dune buggies and motor bikes are a very popular mode of transport and many families have quite a supply, one each for the parents and every child.
A bike or buggy for every member of the family
Passenger buses are big and roomy and this partially converted City Line bus arrived in camp for the weekend. The new owners will really need to paint the exterior to make it look more individual and not like one still in regular service.
Converted passenger bus
The cute little retro “Starliner Standard” caravan caused a lot of interest on arrival. The current owners have had it for several years and really love this unique little caravan. The owner told me that he loaned his pride and joy to a friend who used it while following the Rugby World Cup around the country, and caused a sensation wherever it went.
Starliner caravan
I was invited to have a peep inside, and it was surprisingly roomy. This is a family caravan, with bunks at one end, and a double bed down the other. The owner’s wife refuses to part with it for a newer model, I was told, and just loves her little “home away from home on wheels”.
Interior of Starliner caravan
Our club members all enjoyed a meal at the local Himitangi Cosmopolitan and Fishing Club, with our group taking up most of the available tables in the dining area. There was plenty of choice on the menu, and the four of us on our table all had the fish of the day, cooked in delicious crispy batter.
Jenny, Robin, Peter and Elaine, with other club members in the background
The weather over the first couple of days of the weekend varied from sunshine with strong winds, rain, and a spectacularly loud hail storm overnight. The rat-ta-tat of hail stones hitting the aluminium roof of our caravan at midnight was very loud indeed. Wonder what the rest of the weekend will bring?
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