Hawera and Marton

After a lovely restful few days in New Plymouth it was time to get moving again.  There was no sign of Mt Egmont when we left,  the mountain was completely covered in low cloud, as often happens.  Travelling down  SH3 we made the obligatory stop at Eltham.

What is the attraction at this small town?  It’s Fonterra’s Cheese Factory Shop, well worth a stop as you never know what you will find on special.  I was after some Parmesan cheese, some for me and some for my daughter, and also came away with a big bag of Blue Vein offcuts.  You can tell we are cheese lovers.

Goodies from the cheese shop

Our stop for the night was at the NZMCA Park at Hawera.  Work was being done on a new subdivision over the fence so we are not sure how this will impact on the camp.

Workmen over the fence

The weather was fine but cool, too nippy to sit outside in the fresh air, unfortunately.

Hawera NZMCA Park

Just a glimpse of the Hawera side of Mt Egmont

We can’t stop at Hawera without a side trip to Mania – Bread Capitol, to visit Yarrows Factory Shop.

This must be the right place.  A few goodies got carried to the van, nice fresh bread, and dare I admit it, a couple of cream filled chocolate eclairs for lunch.  According to the sign outside the door, we’re not in much danger of being kidnapped, so that is good to know!

Sign outside Yarrow’s shop

Stopping overnight at Marton, always a favourite with us.  The double gate has been replaced with a large single wire gate, we noticed, and the gardens are looking lovely, with shrubs and trees in blossom.  The camp was fairly empty when we arrived at lunchtime, but vans and campers generally roll in during the afternoon, so we will soon have more neighbours.  The weather is warming up nicely,and we finally got to enjoy some time relaxing outside.

At Marton