It just wasn’t proper to go away for the weekend rally in a dirty, dusty caravan, both Robin and Geoff decided. So out came the buckets of soapy water and the brush, and they got to work, taking care of the accumulated dust, grime and resident spiders. The job was finished off with a hose to wash all the suds away.
Geoff cleaning his Swift caravan
Robin giving Romany Rambler a wash down
Then it was just a short 5km trip up the road to our rally venue weekend at St Peter Chanel School. This was a combined rally hosted by the Wellington Caravan Club, with members of Heretaunga (our club) and Wairarapa clubs invited to attend. A small, but elite group of eleven caravans and motor-homes were in attendance, and were parked up in the school grounds.
A hotly contested croquet competition was held on Saturday morning. The rules were rather vague, and interference was rife, but our club’s two teams (of two) made it through to the final playoff.
Robin, Jenny, Elaine and Peter, with mallets and balls
Geoff became my off-course substitute, and the game began. Mallets and balls were going everywhere, hoops were knocked over, and the croquet course became a battlefield! I was on the sidelines leading the cheers for the Heretaunga team. Sadly, we were pipped at the post in the finals by the Wellington team, but still managed to come in 2nd and 3rd. Not a bad effort for a bunch of novices, non of whom knew what they were doing.
Here come the balls
A shared evening meal was planned and all sorts of tasty offerings were carried into the hall and set up on a large table. We took a little of this, and a little of that, but couldn’t manage to try some of everything, and that was just the main course. Everyone loves desserts, and with everything from a giant chocolate log to trifle, and everything in-between, no one left the table feeling hungry.
The school shares the grounds with the Pukekaraka Catholic Mission and parish, which was founded in 1844 by French priests of the Society of Mary-Marist. The lovely old church was built in 1857, in the style of churches in Provence, and the tower was added in 1929. The interior was painted and decorated by one of the priest’s who had a year off from his duties while recovering from illness. The church has a Category One registry with The Historic Places Trust and is New Zealand's oldest Catholic Church still in use.
The “Old Church” 
Interior of the church, decorated with tendrils of trailing vines
The adjacent “New Church” was built in 1992 in a modern and simplistic style.
Entrance to the new church
Large and roomy inside
This building housed the priests in the early years
A pathway up the hill led us past the Stations of the Cross, topped with a large cross. A small cemetery at the top of the hill is the final resting place of the priests and nuns who served at Pukekaraka. There were great views from the hill, looking out to the Tararua Ranges one way, or down to the sea across the church and school buildings
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Looking down on the church buildings
The rally weekend came to a close, as all weekends must. But not before a group of big strong men were called to help turn one of the caravans around. Bob was in a bit of a tight spot and was rather worried about how he would get out. No trouble at all, as it turned out, with all our men helping.
Many hands make light work
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