Christmas Rally at Rangiotu School

Christmas is coming up fast, as are the pre-Christmas  get-togethers.  Last weekend we joined our caravan club buddies for the last rally of the year held at Rangiotu School.  The first school at Oroua Bridge was built during 1896 on 2 acres of land gifted by Enereta te Rangiotu. In 1996 the school, with a role of 24 pupils and four classrooms, was closed by the Government, along with a number of others through out New Zealand. The Te Awe Awe family requested the Government return the land and the school passed back into Rangitāne ownership. The school is now used for Hui, seminars, conferences and the like, and is also available for clubs clubs like us to use from time to time.

There was a chance to attend early on Thursday afternoon, so why not, we decided.  So a little band of three vans were parked in a row, and we enjoyed each others company in the sunshine.

Early arrivals on Thursday

Owen and Robin had a good catch up leaning on Owen’s tail-gate.  No doubt checking out the myriad of articles which Owen is known to carry, just in case!  We know he always has a handy ladder on board, and goodness knows what else.

Owen and Robin having a chat

Then Mr President and Mr Vice were captured on camera making quite hard work of the job of putting the flag up.  They got there eventually, but why was it so difficult, I wondered?

Owen and Don wrestling with the flag

During the day the members trickled in, and we ended up with most of our members attending.  The weather remained hot and sunny for most of the weekend o we were grateful we had a nice big shady tree to shelter under for our outside get-togethers.

Here we all are

We all managed to squeeze into the hall, actually a staff room, I think, to eat our meal together on Saturday evening.  Some had been busy barbequing, others cooked in their vans, or brought cold salads over for their meal. The tables were decorated, bottles of bubbly were popped, glasses raised, and we wished each other well.  It was wonderful to welcome Barry and Dianne who joined us for dinner, we hadn’t seen them for a while.  And Dot’s motorhome was misbehaving, so instead of enjoying a  weekend away, she drove up on Saturday in the car to join us for 4zees and the evening meal.

Merry Christmas

Dessert was provided by the club, lovely locally grown strawberries and ice-cream, to finish off our meal.

It's always exciting when new caravans arrive in the club.  Selwyn and Cath proudly showed me through their new to them Swift caravan which had recently arrived on the high seas.

Cath and Selwyn and their new van

Sandra and Don had also just changed their van, after deciding that that driving a motor-home was not for them after all.  Believe it or not, their new purchases was a Leisureline caravan which they had previously owned several years ago.

Don and Sandra’s new van

The rain came down overnight, so we packed up in the rain on Sunday morning.  But not before we had our final morning tea, with delicious Christmas Mince Pies courtesy of the club.  Goodness me, we seem to have been eating all weekend.  Many thanks to the Committee for a great weekend.