Chilly Spring Day

Spring weather, and accompanying temperatures  are always rather temperamental during this season.  We have been getting nice fine calm days, followed by rain, even had a short hail storm the other day.  Today it is rather chilly and blustery, with the wind whipping the flag like crazy.

 

Today our caravan went for a jaunt to get the Self Containment Certificate renewed, and this will last for the next four years.  The displayed CSC means that we can camp overnight in areas where self containment is a requirement,  while other vans who are not certified are not permitted to.

Daylight Savings Time starts tonight and we must remember to advance the clocks one hour before we go to bed, (spring – forward).  Of course, it’s never just one clock, is it?  Robin gets the job of clock mechanic to deal with them all.  We will have longer evenings to look forward to – roll on summer.

First BBQ of the Season

It’s Spring down here in our part of the world, and it was time to fire up the BBQ, our first this season, for our guests, who were staying for dinner.  Gary,  Robin’s old school friend from years ago, and his lovely wife Glenys had come down from New Plymouth for the weekend to catch up with family and friends.  The weather was perfect yesterday, so we spent some time sitting outside under the shady Archgola.

Gary, Robin and Glenys

When the Weber BBQ was up to the required temperature, the meat was placed inside.  We were cooking a pork roast.  The skin was scoured and rubbed with salt to make crispy crackle, and the thermometer was inserted, to tell the cook when the meat was done.

It goes in looking like this

And comes out smelling wonderful and looking like this

While Robin was in charge of the meat, I was busy in the kitchen cooking up veggies and an apple pie for dessert.  We enjoyed a nice leisurely meal together, and caught up with all the respective news.  Robin and Gary had both recently traded in their cars for a newer model, so there was plenty of car talk too.  It was great to see them both again.

The weather today has turned wet with cold spells due,  we have been advised.  Spring can sometimes be a bit temperamental, so we will just have to wait and see what the weather gods bring in the next few days. 

Wanganui – I am the river, the river is me

Wanganui is one of New Zealand’s oldest towns, established in 1840.  The river is it’s heart and soul, and is very important to the local Maori people.  In the early days, the river  was the main method of transport for both Maori and European settlers.  A Maori proverb proclaims:

“The great river flows from the mountains to the sea, I am the river, the river is me”.

Wanganui River flowing past the motor camp

Eight vans arrived for the weekend, and we were so lucky to experience lovely warm Spring weather.  Selwyn had arranged for some catalogues for the men in the club, chock full of “hard to find hardware” was the claim.  The men had their noses in these little booklets, planning to purchase all sorts of interesting bits and pieces.  And as a thank you to our club members, Selwyn was gifted a whopper Carrot Cake to share with everyone over the weekend. To get though this huge cake, we were eating it at supper, morning and afternoon tea the next day before it was consumed!

Selwyn cutting the cake

Bill and Val had us busy with games and quizzes.  On Saturday afternoon the weather was perfect for a leisurely walk around Virginia Lake, where we saw all sorts of water birds, elegant swans, noisy ducks, some with tiny ducklings paddling hard to keep up with their Mum, even  a terrapin sunning himself.  As we walked slowly along the path, enjoying the sights, we had to step aside smartly as a posse of mad joggers came racing by.

Virginia Lake

Maori mythology tells a haunting story of how young maiden Tainui met up with a bird lover named Turere. They shared a passion and ability to talk with the birds, but jealous and angry Ranginui wanted Tainui to become his wife. He set off to kill Turere where the lake now lies. In her grief, Tainui cried tears adding to the water of the lake.

After our exercise, we relaxed at the nearby Funky Duck Café for refreshments.  Orders of tea and coffee, milkshakes, ice-creams, iced chocolate were all delivered to our group of thirsty walkers.  Later in the evening, the planned entertainment had to be put aside as keen rugby followers settled down in the TV lounge to watch the All Blacks play against the Springboks.  It wasn't our night as the visitors took away the Freedom Cup.

Our final morning tea was held outside in the sunshine, chocolate bars were handed out to the prize winners, then everyone one else got one as well, for taking part.  It was time to pack up and make our way back home.  Another fun and friendly weekend.

 

What way is home?

Weekend rally at Wanganui

If we can, we like to travel up a day early for a weekend caravan club rally.  So we packed up and drove the 110kms to Wanganui on Thursday.  For part of the trip we were slowed up with a house being moved along.  The width of the house was encroaching on the other side of the road, and approaching cars had to be stopped and parked up off the road to allow the house to continue on it’s way.

Eventually we made it to Wanganui and drove across the intriguing Dublin Street Bridge, one of several spanning the Wanganui River.  Dublin Street Bridge is intriguing to me, looking like it has been made from meccano pieces.

Then it wasn’t too far up Somme Parade and we arrived at Wanganui River Top 10 Holiday Park.  We were the first of our group to arrive, got settled on site in time for lunch.

This is a nice camp ground, well maintained and lovely clean ablution blocks.  Happy birds chirped and fluttered around in the aviary.

And what's this?  Someone had constructed a large moa out of left over branches – very well done, I thought.  Moas were large flightless birds (about as big as an ostrich) and were hunted to extinction over 500 years ago

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The early-birds, four vans, were all on site in time for 4zees, with the balance to arrive on Friday.  And just because we could, we pooled cars and went out for dinner at the Wanganui East Club, a most enjoyable meal it was too.

The rally officially starts on Friday, so we will have to wait and see that Bill and Val have organised for us.  Whatever it is, it’s sure to be interesting.  Looks like the weather will remain fine for the weekend, so that is always a bonus.

Visit to Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom

That’s a bit of a mouthful, isn't it?  Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom is a new building in Foxton housing the library, council services, and museum, featuring the history of local Maori, early European settlers, and Dutch immigrants who arrived after WWII and made such an impact in this community.    Te Awahou is the Maori name for Foxton and the waterway which runs under the building, translating to new stream in English, and Nieuwe Stroom in Dutch.  It was Robin’s turn to organise an outing for our SLG friends, so this is where we went.

Dutch explorer Abel Tasman had the first encounter with local Maori when he anchored at Golden Bay in 1642, although he did not come ashore.    After a skirmish, there were deaths on both sides, and Tasman named the bay Murderers Bay and sailed away.  While Tasman had been warned of the possibility of attack, Maori had experienced a number of bewildering firsts – firearms, tall ships and white men. It would be more than 120 years before Maori and European next met, with the arrival  James Cook in 1769.  There is a wonderful painted wall of blue tiles in the museum  relating this first encounter.

After being occupied by the Germans during the war, the Netherlands struggled to reconstruct its ruined economy and society. High unemployment, housing shortages, and a baby boom increased the pressures.  The peak years were between July 1951 and June 1954, and by 1968, approximately 25,000 immigrants born in Dutch territories had come to settle in New Zealand.  Immigrants brought their furnishings to remind them of home.

A little taste of home

“The Great Wall of Bikes” reminds us that the Netherlands is a land of bikes, and cycling culture.  The bikes on the wall were mainly brought over by the immigrants.

Also in display are photos and artifacts from the early Maori times in this area.

The sleepy town of Foxton was once home to a thriving flax-milling industry. Native flax was a vital source of durable fibre for Maori, who made it into baskets, fishing nets and clothing. An export trade began from the 1820s, and a major industry developed, with large mills around Foxton.   For over 80 years - from 1888 to 1974 - the production of flax fibre was Foxton's principal source of income and three generations of workers found employment in the swamps and mills of the district.

Then it was time for lunch, and we had booked a table just next door at the aptly named Dutch Oven Café.  Then on the way back home,  we had to call in to RJ’s for a licorice fix.  Most visitors to Levin like to pop into the factory shop to replenish supplies.

Robin, Ashley and Yvonne

Spring has Arrived

September heralds the arrival of Spring down here in the Southern Hemisphere.  Our winter was not too bad this year, yes, we have had cold spells, wind and rain, plus a little snow on the back ranges, but overall I think winter was fairly mild.  Wonder what that means for summer this year?  As long as we get some sunshine to coincide with caravan holidays, we will be happy.

Someone who is a little unhappy lately is Robin, he has come down with some sort of lurgy, coughing, spluttering, aches and pains.  According to the Medical Centre when he went for his (unrelated) blood pressure check-up last week, it seems lots of patents who have recently returned from Australia have been presenting with the same symptoms.  Probably something picked up in the air flights, we all know that the circulating air picks up all sorts of bugs from travelers.  With a lot of TLC he is slowly coming right.

And this is a sign of Spring – our Kowhai tree is dripping with golden yellow blossoms.  We brought this tree as a young self sown sapling from our garden in Upper Hutt when we relocated to Levin five years ago (is it really that long?) and it has grown well in the back garden.