Long Weekend at Manawatu Caravan Club Grounds

It’s Queen’s Birthday Weekend here in New Zealand which means we have a three day weekend  to look forward too.  Why not make it even longer we thought, and leave on Thursday instead of Friday and have four nights away?  Seemed a good plan to us, so we did.

Manawatu Caravan Club grounds, Foxton

There were road works happening right outside the camp, so that made us stop and think.  The workmen advised us against driving over the wet tar as there was no chip laid on top at this stage, and the car and wheels would have been covered in hot tar.  Instead they advised us to drive along the grass verge and then turn into the camp gates.  It was a matter of “follow that car” ahead of us which was doing the same thing as we had been instructed to do. A bright yellow road compactor drove up and down making short work of pressing the shingle into the hot tar.

Road works outside the camp

By mid afternoon four vans had arrived a day early and we gathered for 4zees sitting outside in the late afternoon sunshine.  The temps were dropping so we all experienced a rather chilly night.

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Early birds at the rally

We awoke to a frost on Friday morning – no wonder it was so chilly the previous night.  Our club members continued to arrive during the day – all arrived in time for Friday afternoon 4zees except one van who was due the following day.  It is a bit of a tradition when staying at this camp to go to the Bowling Club just through the fence for a meal on Friday night.  Just a two minute walk and we were there.

Warning – what danger lies behind this gate?

This is a very popular venue with the locals and campers alike, and our group of 18 certainly swelled the numbers.  After perusing the menu we went to place our order.  Fish, scallops, roast pork and mixed grill all seemed popular choices at our table.

At the restaurant counter

The meals were certainly very generous portions indeed, and several of us couldn’t quite manage to eat all of what was on our plates.  That didn’t stop one or two from ordering dessert though, I noticed.  On our return to camp some of us gathered in the club hall for our usual Friday night get-together and joke telling.  It was a good start to the holiday weekend.