Changing of the Guard

It was time for a change.  After several years on the caravan club committee, we were both standing down from office.  This weekend was our AGM rally, and there was a changing of the guard when the new committee was elected.  New blood on the committee brings enthusiasm and fresh ideas, and that is always a good thing.  With the AGM done and dusted, we could get on with the usual caravan club business of catching up, telling jokes, and enjoying each other’s company. 

We were staying at Levin Holiday Park, only a short five minute drive from our home.  Repi and Debbie run the motor camp, and we became concerned when Debbie announced her baby bump was overdue for delivery.  That didn’t stop her going about her chores around the camp.  Who would appear first, we wondered, Debbie’s babe or the royal arrival?  At least the paparazzi weren't camping outside on the street awaiting for her to produce, Debbie commented.

Thumper the white rabbit had made the camp ground his home, and hopped around the place nibbling on whatever took his fancy.  He hopped underneath a handy caravan whenever anyone got too close.  Such a cute little thing with that pink twitching nose and those dainty ears, maybe Thumper is a girl? 

Thumper the white rabbit

Thumper wasn’t the only wildlife in camp.  The dove cote in the middle of the grounds in home to several white doves.  These birds flutter around, pop in and out of their dove sized little hidey–holes, and generally keep and eye on all the comings and goings in camp.

Dove-cote in the grounds

There’s nothing like a spot of healthy exercise to get the heart pumping, is there?  No, not us, we’re sorry to say.  Our prospective members Barry and Diane are keen cyclists and donned their lycra and helmets.  Off they pedalled, into the wild blue yonder, returning just in time for 4zees.

  Barry and Diane ready to go

There was a special presentation made to Kath, when she won a competition at a previous rally.  She put the rest of us to shame with her long list of answers, rattling them out in a never ending stream when most of us could only manage a few.  So she gets to take this very large beer stein home and keep it for a while.  Good – it’s found a home for a while, nobody else wants such a monstrosity. 

Kath and her prize

We had a mixed bag of weather for the weekend.  Some sunshine, some rain, and most worrying of all, several earthquakes were felt.  Aftershocks are continuing to shake Wellington and the top of the South Island after a 6.5 magnitude quake. The big tremor has been followed by a number of smaller quakes ranging from light to strong.  Reports of damage around the Wellington region varied from falling masonry and broken windows to water leaks and stock falling from shop shelves.  Glass from broken windows fell onto Lambton Quay and street workers were keeping people away from those buildings in case another quake struck and loosened the glass that was left.  Scary stuff indeed.  As people in the know keep telling us, Wellington region is overdue for “the big one”. 

Our rally weekend at Levin Holiday Park