Welcome Bay

We were blocked in at the caravan yard at Ohaupo.  Before we could leave on Tuesday morning we had to ask the men working on the road construction to please move their machine and some of the road cones.  No problem, I’m sure they are used to the staff and customers coming and going at this site.  And the rain kept coming down

Trapped in Ohaupo

Our next stop was Welcome Bay, in Tauranga.  We drove down SH1 past the attractive tree lined town of Cambridge, turning onto SH29 and up and over the Kaimai Ranges.  The nearer we got to Tauranga, the busier the traffic became.  The city's name is a Maori word meaning “resting place,” or “safe anchorage.” Tauranga was incorporated as a borough in 1882 and became a city in the early 1960s.  The ride was out in Welcome Bay when we arrived, but it seemed a pretty area, with lots of new housing  everywhere.

Welcome Bay

This was our first time staying at the Welcome Bay NZMCA site, and we were there for two nights.   It has only recently opened and situated on a nice large grassy area, surrounded by large trees and a kiwifruit farm.  We were a little worried about the wet conditions but luckily did not get bogged down.  There were workmen on site completing the gathering room.

There were only a half dozen or so vans staying here, and although a couple of wet areas had been roped off, there was plenty of space.  Water was available, as were rubbish bins, and I can see this being a very popular spot over the summer months.

Welcome Bay NZMCA Park

We were intrigued by the plaintive bird calls coming from behind the trees and suspect that they were peacocks.  Perhaps the adjacent farm has some of these birds.

We wanted to stop in the Tauranga area to catch up with our friends Louse and Robert, who live nearby at Papamoa.  “Come for lunch” they invited, so we did, and spent a really pleasant day together.  Lots of talking and catching up to do.   Louise and Robert had recently purchased a new to them Kea Dreamtime and Robert has been checking it out and fixing up a few problems that he found.  They are looking forward to a South Island holiday in the New Year.

Louise and Robert and their new camper van

The mower man was very busy indeed the morning we left, zipping around cutting the grass.  He gave me a cheery wave as I walked down to the bins to get rid of the rubbish.  Next stop - Rotorua.

Lawn cutting time