Christmas Rally at Otaki

It''s been such a busy week and we celebrated yet another Christmas get-together – this time the last Caravan Club Rally of the year.  The committee were in charge, and everything ran very smoothly, they also did a good job of organising the weather for us all.  Nine vans gathered in the school grounds, all raring to join in the fun of a festive rally.

Back to school at Otaki

Saturday was a big day for Eileen – she was celebrating was one of those birthdays ending in “0”.  With family members flying in from near and far, Eileen and Geoff couldn’t attend this rally, but called around for Morning Tea on Saturday morning instead.  And they brought a lovely home made lemon cake to share with us too, so they were more than welcome.  There is something about caravanners, we can never say no to home baking.

Happy Birthday Eileen

We enjoyed a shared meal on Saturday evening.  In typical Kiwi style, the blokes got the barbecues going, while the ladies prepared salads to share.  We had the BBQ, but had forgotten to pack the small gas bottle for it, so that put paid to that idea.   Derek came to the rescue and Robin, Derek and Don all cooked steaks and kebabs together. 

BBQ time

Meanwhile, all sorts of tasty salads were carried into the hall and set out on the table.  Everyone got into the spirit of Christmas and we each decorated our tables with little trees, Santas, and flashing decorations.  With fresh locally grown strawberries, ice-cream and jelly for dessert, we had a delightful meal indeed.  Our Chatter Santa put in an appearance, repeating everything he could hear, including all the laughter at his antics.

Salads galore

Dining in style

Our evening concluded with Selwyn showing the movie “The Boy in Striped Pyjamas”.  Very sad, and the ending left us all speechless as we pondered what we had just seen.